EN
TR
Milk Kefir and Water Kefir Production Using Loquat at Different Extent of Maturity
Abstract
Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica L.) is a subtropical fruit with a short shelf life after harvest. Transforming loquat into high-quality and long shelf-life products is essential to increase the consumption of the fruit. In this study, milk kefir and water kefir samples were produced with unripe green (G), semi-ripe yellow (Y), and ripe orange (O) loquat. The quality of samples was evaluated in terms of pH, Brix, color, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity (AOC) during the storage at 4±1 °C for 28 days. The sensorial quality of samples was determined by consumer acceptance and ranking tests. During the shelf-life, in milk kefir samples, pH decreased, and Brix increased. In water kefir samples, pH decreased, and brix remained constant by lyophilized culture (Method 1), pH increased, and brix decreased by kefir grain (Method 2). The water kefir produced with grain was closer to the color of the fresh fruit. The highest TPC, TFC, and AOC were observed in the water kefir produced with ripe orange loquat using Method 2 (OWK2). Based on the sensory evaluation, the most preferred milk kefir was produced from unripe green loquat (GMK), and water kefir was produced from semi-ripe yellow loquat using Method 1 (YWK1) with 33.75% and 18.4%, respectively. These results indicated the potential usage of loquat in high-quality milk kefir and water kefir production with extended shelf-life.
Keywords
Ethical Statement
The sensory analyses conducted in this study were undertaken under the ethical approval granted by the Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Science and Engineering Sciences Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee (Document Number: 05.06.2025-250957, Meeting Date: 04.06.2025, Meeting Number: 03, Decision Number: 04). Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study. Participation was voluntary, and participants were informed about the objectives, procedures, potential risks, and benefits of the study before consenting.
Thanks
This article has been produced from Sema Karamanoğlu’s MSc. Thesis, named as “Quality Characteristics of Water and Milk Kefir Produced with Loquat Fruit at Different Extent of Maturity”.
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Food Properties
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Sema Karamanoğlu
0009-0000-5217-3980
Türkiye
Early Pub Date
January 21, 2026
Publication Date
January 21, 2026
Submission Date
August 23, 2025
Acceptance Date
October 3, 2025
Published in Issue
Year 1970 Volume: 29 Number: 2
