Abstract:
This thesis provides the process used to optimize the growth of kefir grains for nutrition and health to
yield the optimal size of the kefir grain. This combined process was successfully modeled and optimized
by response surface methodology method with a Box–Behnken design. In this work, Box-Behnken
Design of response surface methodology was used to optimize growth of kefir grains using fat content in
milk, incubation time and the number of rotations using milk as culture liquid. The contour plots were
generated to study the optimum yield and levels of culture conditions. The second-order model, was used
to locate the optimum growth of kefir grains. Testing the prediction of the second order and its adequacy
was verified using the I-optimality and G -optimality which was used to predict the growth of kefir gains
at nearly all values of culture conditions. The statistical analysis was done using a two-way analysis of
variance for fitting the data. The confidence level to check the growth of kefir grain were at 95%.Design
expert was used to formulate the BBD design which yielded a class of three incomplete factorial designs
which are useful for estimating the co-efficient in a second degree graduating polynomial. The optimal
settings of the culture conditions were evaluated using stationery points to determine the possibilities of
the response for the growth to optimal at stationery points levels. The data was analyzed using R
statistical software and excel. Data was presented using tables and graphs.
