Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Fermented Beetroot Juices Enriched with Different Additives

Karolina Jakubczyk; Klaudia Melkis; Katarzyna Janda-Milczarek; Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka

doi:10.3390/foods13010102

Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Fermented Beetroot Juices Enriched with Different Additives

Foods. 2023 Dec 28;13(1):102. doi: 10.3390/foods13010102.

Authors

Karolina Jakubczyk¹, Klaudia Melkis¹, Katarzyna Janda-Milczarek¹, Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Nutrition and Metabolomics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 24 Broniewskiego Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland.
² Department of Biochemical Science, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland.

Abstract

Fermented beetroot juice is a beverage obtained from the fermentation of beetroot, most commonly red beet (Beta vulgaris L. var. conditiva). Nowadays, this product is increasingly recognised as a functional food with potentially beneficial health properties. It has been suggested to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antihypertensive, immunomodulatory, and probiotic effects, among others. Moreover, with the increasing popularity of the drink, newer variants are appearing in the food market, obtained by modifying the traditional recipe, adding other raw materials, herbs, and spices. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the antioxidant potential and phytochemical composition of the selected fermented beetroot juices in different flavour variants available in the Polish food market. The study material consisted of six fermented beetroot juices: traditional, with garlic, with horseradish, with acerola, without salt, and iodized. The obtained results showed that the addition of acerola, horseradish, garlic, salt, and iodine in the form of sodium iodide and potassium iodide influenced the composition and properties of fermented beetroot juice. The most promising product in terms of potentially beneficial health properties related to the prevention of free radical diseases was fermented beetroot juice without salt (FRAP-5663.40 µM Fe (II)/L, ABTS-96.613%, TPC-760.020 mg GAE/L, TFC-221.280 mg RE/L). Iodized fermented beetroot juice had the highest vitamin C content-51.859 mg/100 mL. However, all the products tested were characterised by a significant content of biologically active substances with antioxidant properties and showed a high antioxidant potential. Moreover, all the fermented beetroot juices were rated positively in terms of flavour intensity, sweetness, acidity, colour, and overall acceptability. They can, therefore, be a good source of antioxidants in the daily diet.

Keywords: antioxidant; antioxidant properties; beetroot; fermentation; fermented beetroot juice; spices.

Grants and funding

The research was carried out as part of the operation entitled "Development of a new herb production technology in order to obtain substantially improved products, innovative on the international market in the form of ecological mixtures of vegetable juices with the addition of herbs", financed under the co-financing agreement No. 00064.DDD.6509.00221.2022.05 of March 24, 2023—co-financed by the European Union under Measure 16. Cooperation of the Rural Development Program for 2014–2020, implemented as part of the operational group called Ecological Live Plant Isotonic Enriched with Polyphenols.