Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains
The cheese industry produces millions of tons of lactose-rich whey yearly, of which 50% is discharged into water and soil, leading to significant environmental challenges. In Mexico, cheese whey is repurposed for traditional cheese production. However, another by-product named secondary whey (SW) re...
| Published in: | Biology and Life Sciences Forum |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/40/1/44 |
| _version_ | 1849454031267692544 |
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| author | Aidalú Hernández-Martínez Carlos Jiménez-Pérez Alma Cruz-Guerrero John F. Trant Sergio Alatorre-Santamaría |
| author_facet | Aidalú Hernández-Martínez Carlos Jiménez-Pérez Alma Cruz-Guerrero John F. Trant Sergio Alatorre-Santamaría |
| author_sort | Aidalú Hernández-Martínez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| container_title | Biology and Life Sciences Forum |
| description | The cheese industry produces millions of tons of lactose-rich whey yearly, of which 50% is discharged into water and soil, leading to significant environmental challenges. In Mexico, cheese whey is repurposed for traditional cheese production. However, another by-product named secondary whey (SW) remains. This study focused on the production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) via SW fermentation of kefir grains, yielding 632.6 ± 30.8 mg/L of a freeze-dried solid, and the carbohydrate-to-protein ratio stood at 2.89, corresponding to the bound EPS protein content. Through the analysis of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, it was determined that EPSs were successfully produced, as a signal was observed between 1200 and 1000 cm<sup>−1</sup>, characteristic of the glycosidic bonds in polysaccharides. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e666d9aaa9e54c2788f1bfa0671468c8 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| issn | 2673-9976 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| spelling | doaj-art-e666d9aaa9e54c2788f1bfa0671468c82025-08-20T03:26:10ZengMDPI AGBiology and Life Sciences Forum2673-99762025-03-014014410.3390/blsf2024040044Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir GrainsAidalú Hernández-Martínez0Carlos Jiménez-Pérez1Alma Cruz-Guerrero2John F. Trant3Sergio Alatorre-Santamaría4Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, MexicoDepartment of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 09340, MexicoDepartment of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 09340, MexicoDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, CanadaDepartment of Biotechnology, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México 09340, MexicoThe cheese industry produces millions of tons of lactose-rich whey yearly, of which 50% is discharged into water and soil, leading to significant environmental challenges. In Mexico, cheese whey is repurposed for traditional cheese production. However, another by-product named secondary whey (SW) remains. This study focused on the production of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) via SW fermentation of kefir grains, yielding 632.6 ± 30.8 mg/L of a freeze-dried solid, and the carbohydrate-to-protein ratio stood at 2.89, corresponding to the bound EPS protein content. Through the analysis of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra, it was determined that EPSs were successfully produced, as a signal was observed between 1200 and 1000 cm<sup>−1</sup>, characteristic of the glycosidic bonds in polysaccharides.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/40/1/44exopolysaccharidekefir grainswheylactic acid bacteriafermentation |
| spellingShingle | Aidalú Hernández-Martínez Carlos Jiménez-Pérez Alma Cruz-Guerrero John F. Trant Sergio Alatorre-Santamaría Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains exopolysaccharide kefir grains whey lactic acid bacteria fermentation |
| title | Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains |
| title_full | Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains |
| title_fullStr | Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains |
| title_short | Production of Exopolysaccharides Through Fermentation of Secondary Whey with Kefir Grains |
| title_sort | production of exopolysaccharides through fermentation of secondary whey with kefir grains |
| topic | exopolysaccharide kefir grains whey lactic acid bacteria fermentation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/40/1/44 |
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