Studying the Influence of Salt Concentrations on Betalain and Selected Physical and Chemical Properties in the Lactic Acid Fermentation Process of Red Beetroot
Emilia Janiszewska-Turak,
Anna Wierzbicka,
Katarzyna Rybak,
Katarzyna Pobiega,
Alicja Synowiec,
Łukasz Woźniak,
Urszula Trych,
Andrzej Krzykowski,
Anna Gramza-Michałowska
Affiliations
Emilia Janiszewska-Turak
Department of Food Engineering and Process Management, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 159C Nowoursynowska St., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Anna Wierzbicka
Department of Food Engineering and Process Management, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 159C Nowoursynowska St., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Katarzyna Rybak
Department of Food Engineering and Process Management, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 159C Nowoursynowska St., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Katarzyna Pobiega
Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 159C Nowoursynowska St., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Alicja Synowiec
Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 159C Nowoursynowska St., 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Łukasz Woźniak
Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis, Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology, 36 Rakowiecka Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland
Urszula Trych
Department of Fruit and Vegetable Product Technology, Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology, 36 Rakowiecka Street, 02-532 Warsaw, Poland
Andrzej Krzykowski
Department of Thermal Technology and Food Process Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 31 Głęboka St., 20-612 Lublin, Poland
Anna Gramza-Michałowska
Department of Gastronomy Science and Functional Foods, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 31, 60-624 Poznan, Poland
This study emphasizes the significance of optimizing salt content during the fermentation of red beetroot to produce healthier and high-quality fermented products. It investigates the impact of different salt levels on fermentation, analyzing various parameters such as pH levels, dry matter content, total acidity, salt content, color changes, pigment content, and lactic acid bacteria count. This study identifies the most favorable salt concentration for bacterial growth during fermentation and storage as 2–3%. It was evaluated that salt levels fluctuated significantly during fermentation, with nearly 50% of the added salt absorbed by the beetroot tissues, mainly when lower salt concentrations were used. The fermentation process had a negative effect on the content of betalain pigments, as well as yellow pigments, including vulgaxanthin-I. It was also found that fermentation and storage affected the proportions of red pigments, with betacyanins proving to be more stable than betaxanthins, and that salt addition affected negatively pH and total acidity while causing an increase in yellow color. The pH was negatively correlated with the duration of the process, the amount of red pigment, and bacterial count. The results indicate that lower salt levels can lead to favorable physicochemical and microbiological parameters, allowing for the production of fermented red beetroot with reduced salt content without compromising quality.
