• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.165-172
• /
• 2016

Kefir, originating from Caucasus, is an acidic, alcoholic fermented milk product with little acidic taste and a creamy consistency. It is recognized in having beneficial effects infor the prevention and treatment of cancer. For example, Kefir has possesses a chemopreventative effect on carcinogenesis. There has recently been a strong focus on fermented milk foods containing a mixture of several functional organic substances and various probiotic microorganisms. Hence, the purpose of this review paper was to evaluate the scientific evidence for the effects of kefir on cancer prevention and treatment. Some of we analyzed and summarized data-relating to the effects of kefir on cancer. The cacers that kefir has an effect on are as follows: colon cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, sarcoma, skin cancer, gastric cancer. This review suggests that (1) kefir could be associated with cancer prevention, (2) kefir has beneficial effects in cancer treatment, and (3) kefir has various bioactive components including peptides, polysaccharides and sphingolipids, which contribute tofor itsthese anti-cancer properties. Furthermore, furthermore, studies were performed in order to obtain as to get the scientific evidence of kefir's anticancer activity: (1) improved protective effectiveness in vivo (human subjects or animal model), (2) isolation and identification of various bioactive components, and (3) mechanisms associated with beneficial effects.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.465-482
• /
• 2021

Lipids, which along with carbohydrates and proteins are among the most important nutrients for the living organism, have a variety of biological functions that can be applied widely in biomedicine. A fatty acid, the most fundamental biological lipid, may be classified by length of its aliphatic chain, and the short-, medium-, and long-chain fatty acids and each have distinct biological activities with therapeutic relevance. For example, short-chain fatty acids have immune regulatory activities and could be useful against autoimmune disease; medium-chain fatty acids generate ketogenic metabolites and may be used to control seizure; and some metabolites oxidized from long-chain fatty acids could be used to treat metabolic disorders. Glycerolipids play important roles in pathological environments, such as those of cancers or metabolic disorders, and thus are regarded as a potential therapeutic target. Phospholipids represent the main building unit of the plasma membrane of cells, and play key roles in cellular signaling. Due to their physical properties, glycerophospholipids are frequently used as pharmaceutical ingredients, in addition to being potential novel drug targets for treating disease. Sphingolipids, which comprise another component of the plasma membrane, have their own distinct biological functions and have been investigated in nanotechnological applications such as drug delivery systems. Saccharolipids, which are derived from bacteria, have endotoxin effects that stimulate the immune system. Chemically modified saccharolipids might be useful for cancer immunotherapy or as vaccine adjuvants. This review will address the important biological function of several key lipids and offer critical insights into their potential therapeutic applications.