Coconut water kefir

Coconut water is the liquid endosperm fluid of the coconut fruit which contains high amounts of essential nutrients and minerals. This endosperm fluid is a widely consumed as a beverage in many parts of the world as it provides hydration along with increased nutritional, health and medicinal benefits. In addition to being used as a medium constituent, it also acts as a natural biocatalyst One of the fermented products of coconut water, coconut water kefir, is made by fermenting coconut water with the kefir granules which contain essential lactic acid bacteria and yeast spp. known to have health benefits for a disease-free life. It has many applications in the food industry and functional food market It is used as one of the important constituents in a variety of products or can be consumed as-it-is . It is known to have no undesirable side effects and is said to improve digestioa This paper reviews the functional properties of coconut water, its applications in the food industry and recent advancements in this area. 

One of the most important uses of coeonut water is in the preparation of a health drink, coconut water kefir. It is prepared by inoeulating eoeonut water with ke grains, which is then incubated for about 24-48 hours to allow appropriate fermentation. Detailed information on kefir is discussed below in order to understand the fermentation in depth. 

The probiotic properties of kefir and the health benefits of coconut water imite to form coconut water kefir. More research on coconut water kefir, its properties and its applications will provide an in-depth knowledge of this potentially useful health drink. It will also help in understanding its use to derive disease-curing drugs. 

Kefir is also prepared from commercial starters using bovine milk and it has been reported that the lactose concentration effectively decreased from 4.92%(w/v) to 4.02%(w/v) and the L(+)- lactic acid concentration increased to 0.76%(w/v) from 0.01%(w/v) after 24 hours of incubation. The acetic acid content increased from 2.10 to 2.73 mg/ml while the pH value was reported to be low as 4.24 in the first 24 hours after which it decreased gradually. The concentration of L(+)- lactic acid subsequently decreased while that of D(-)- lactic acid subsequently increased. These fermentation values depend on the type of starter culture used, the storage period and the medium used to grow the kefir (for example the mammalian species from which the milk is derived, the coconut water, etc.), (Garcia Fontan, Martinez, Franco, Carballo, 2006 Magalhaes, Pereira, et al., 2011 Oner, Karahan, 0akmak9i, 2010). 

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