The influence of lactic acid fermentation process of red beet juice on the stability of biologically active colorants

Lactic acid fermentation can have preservative effect on red beet juice. The behavior of the pigment in the fermented juice was investigated and the results were compared with those of non-fermented juice. Two red beet varieties (Czerwona Kula and Chrobry) were used in our experiment. Three probiotic bacteria and three infant intestinal microbiota of Lactobacillus sp. were selected for beet juice fermentation. Lactic acid fermentation influenced both red and yellow pigments. In the two beetroot varieties (Chrobry and Czerwona Kula) studied, the dominant red-violet pigment components were betanin, isobetanin, while vulgaxanthin I was the major yellow pigment. Betanin was the main red-violet component in juices before fermentation. After fermentation also betanidin and isobetanidin were observed. Huge amounts of betanidin were found especially in fermented Chrobry juice. It was observed that fermented juice from Chrobry cultivar contained higher betanidin than betanin levels. Contrarily, in juice from Czerwona Kula cv., betanin level was much higher than betanidin level.