The present invention relates to a lactic acid fermented product of cassia seeds. The fermented product of the present invention uses cassia seeds, which have long been used and have proven their safety without causing side effects. Due to this advantage, the lactic acid fermented product of the present invention is effective in increasing the number, water content, and/or weight of feces. The effects of the lactic acid fermented product according to the present invention are comparable to those of sennoside, which is a therapeutic agent for stimulant constipation and whose use in health functional foods is forbidden because of its side effects, and Dulcolax-S, which is currently commercially available and includes bisacodyl and sodium docusate as active ingredients. Therefore, the lactic acid fermented product of the present invention can be utilized in pharmaceutical compositions for treating or preventing constipation or health functional foods for ameliorating or preventing constipation. In addition, the present invention relates to Lactobacillus kefiri strain MJ90. The strain is advantageous for the preparation of the lactic acid fermented product with enhanced activity in the treatment, amelioration or prevention of constipation.

The present invention provides a method of controlling growth of unwanted microorganisms by limiting their access to manganese. More specifically, the present invention provides a method of inhibiting or delaying growth of yeast and mold by reducing the manganese concentration in a product which is preferably a food product. The invention also provides manganese scavengers and uses thereof to inhibit or delay fungal growth. The manganese scavenger may be a bacterial cell, specifically a lactic acid bacterial cell, more specifically Lactobacillus rhamnosus alone or in combination with Lactobacillus paracasei.

The present invention provides a method for ameliorating or treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), comprising administering extracellular vesicles derived from Kefir grains in a mammal in need thereof. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition for ameliorating or treating IBD and/or IBS or a functional food composition for ameliorating or improving IBD and/or IBS, comprising said extracellular vesicles derived from Kefir grains as an active ingredient.

The present invention relates to the use of bacterial strains belonging to the species Lactobacillus kefiri in paediatrics to generate and/or maintain the state of homeostasis. The present invention further relates to bacterial strains belonging to the species Lactobacillus kefiri having a high capacity to adhere to the intestinal epithelium; in particular, the present invention relates to the bacterial strains Lactobacillus kefiri LKF01 DSM 32079 LKEF and Lactobacillus kefiri LKF02 DSM 32080 for use in paediatrics. Finally, the present invention relates to a food composition, or a composition for a supplement, or a composition for a medical device, or a pharmaceutical composition (briefly all together the composition(s) of the present invention) comprising excipients and/or substances of a food or pharmaceutical grade formulation, and a mixture which comprises or, alternatively, consists of a bacterial strain selected from the group consisting of the bacterial strains belonging to the species Lactobacillus kefiri, said composition being for use in paediatrics to generate and/or maintain the state of homeostasis and for use in the preventive and/or curative treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC), in adult subjects, also in a chronic stage.

There is provided a method for recovering spent grain, comprising the steps of: a) adding a batch of mixed solution of a batch of spent grain and a first fermenting composition to a second fermenting composition; b) mixing the added batch of mixed solution with the second fermenting composition, whereby a fermented mixture is obtained; and c) separating the fermented mixture into a liquid product and a solid product; wherein the liquid product and the solid product have a prolonged durability compared to the durability of the batch of spent grain when mixed solution has been added in step a). An advantage of the inventive method is that by-products such as spent grain are efficiently turned into valuable products.