Kefir Probiotic-Enriched Non-Alcoholic Beers: Microbial, Genetic, and Sensory-Chemical Assessment

Kefir Probiotic-Enriched Non-Alcoholic Beers: Microbial, Genetic, and Sensory-Chemical Assessment

Probiotic microorganisms from sugary kefir were incorporated into Brazilian non-alcoholic beers to enhance their functional and nutritional properties through aerobic static fermentation over 24 h. Non-alcoholic beers inoculated with sugary kefir showed appropriate acidity (pH reduction from ~3.74 t...

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Main Authors: Alessandra Souza Marques do Nascimento, Raquel Nunes Almeida da Silva, Pedro Paulo Lordelo Guimarães Tavares, Adriana Silva Borges, Marina Passos Soares Cardoso, Ana Katerine de Carvalho Lima Lobato, Rogéria Comastri de Castro Almeida, Karina Teixeira Magalhães-Guedes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Beverages
Subjects:
sugary kefir
functional beverage
probiotic bacteria
probiotic yeasts
probiotic beer
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/11/3/75
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Summary:Probiotic microorganisms from sugary kefir were incorporated into Brazilian non-alcoholic beers to enhance their functional and nutritional properties through aerobic static fermentation over 24 h. Non-alcoholic beers inoculated with sugary kefir showed appropriate acidity (pH reduction from ~3.74 to ~3.52), color, and microbial balance, along with excellent sensory acceptance (scores of 6.9–8.4 on a 9-point hedonic scale). The kefir microbiota included <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i>, <i>Lacticaseibacillus casei</i>, <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> subsp. <i>paracasei</i>, <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> subsp. <i>tolerans</i>, <i>Lactobacillus delbrueckii</i> subsp. <i>lactis</i>, <i>Lentilactobacillus parabuchneri</i>, <i>Lentilactobacillus kefiri</i>, <i>Lactococcus lactis</i>, <i>Leuconostoc citreum</i>, <i>Acetobacter lovaniensis</i>, and yeasts such as <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, <i>Kluyveromyces lactis</i>, <i>Lachancea meyersii</i>, and <i>Kazachstania aerobia</i>. Genetic analysis confirmed the absence of undesirable or pathogenic microorganisms. Fermentation led to reductions in sucrose (~0.35 to ~0.22 g/L) and °Brix (~5.55 to ~3.80), with increases in lactic acid (~0.55 to ~1.25 g/L) and acetic acid (~0.08 to ~0.14 g/L), confirming active microbial metabolism. Ethanol levels remained within legal limits for non-alcoholic beverages. The process preserved sensory attributes while enriching the beverage with well-documented kefir microorganisms. These findings highlight sugary kefir as a promising biotechnological tool to enhance the functional profile of non-alcoholic beers without compromising their sensory quality.
ISSN:2306-5710

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