A new scientific paper on rice kefiran (RK) has been published by a research group led by Mahmoud Ben Othman and Kazuichi Sakamoto at the University of Tsukuba.

The paper, titled “Possible Involvement of NAMPT in the Anti-Obesity Effect of Oral Administration of Fermented Rice with Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens (Rice Kefiran) in C57BL/6J Mice,” reports that, in a high-fat-diet mouse model, oral administration of RK was shown to attenuate weight gain and reduce adipose tissue accumulation, improve glucose tolerance, and favorably modulate serum lipid parameters. The researchers also observed increased levels of NAMPT, an enzyme involved in cellular energy metabolism, providing new insight into the potential mechanisms underlying the metabolic effects of RK.

Journal: Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026;27:1912.
Authors: Mahmoud Ben Othman, Kazuichi Sakamoto