Dom,
Thank you for the link - although I must confess that I was not able to make
much sense of it. But I find the subject fascinating, and am eager to learn
more.
Incidentally, while googling (?!) the web, I found a family portrait of the
creatures making up a kefir grain (I mean, a microscope picture of a
grain)(people who don't like to see germs close up, please do not look):
http://distans.livstek.lth.se:2080/Kefir.htm
Ciao,
Giacomo
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dominic N. Anfiteatro" <dna@...>
To: <Kefir_making@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 6:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Kefir_making] Galactose
> Hi Giacomo,
>
> Interesting stuffings.
>
> Not too far off track... I thought you may like to check this out:
>
> http://www.genome.ad.jp/dbget-bin/get_pathway?org_name=hsa&mapno=00052
>
> This link refers to Galactose metabolism (pathways) for Homo sapiens.
>
> There's a pulldown list (top right) where you may choose to view the
> pathways that different life-forms use to metabolize Galactose.
>
> Apparently "Lb. brevis" found in kefir grains is able to convert lactose
> into a different form of polysaccharide consisting of galactose and
glucose
> (which lactose is also made up of).
>
> I read in an early tech-paper (late 1960's) that "Lb. brevis" was able to
> synthesize kefiran, which I believe is not the case at all ( I think they
> confuzed this particular PS with kefiran?).
>
> Thanks for sharing this with us.
>
> Bewell,
> Dom
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Giacomo Valentini
> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 9:05 PM
>
>
>
> > Hello all,
> >
> > I recently found a small information leaflet in a package of commercial
> > kefir powder (aka "imitation kefir"), purchased years ago before I had
> real
> > kefir grains. In a leaflet attached to the package, the manufacturers
> > reproduce the summary of an article about the possible beneficial
effects
> of
> > the galactose contained in kefir.
> >
> > This what the leaflet claims (I shorten and translate from the original
> > French):
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