Impact of different drying treatments on the biochemical and antioxidant activity properties of Egyptian red beetroot

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an overview of the main findings and conclusions of the research on freshly sliced Egyptian red beetroot (Beta vulgaris). Beetroot belongs to the botanical family of Chenopodiaceae and encompasses various variations with bulb hues that span the spectrum from yellow to crimson. It is known that the ethanolic extract from beet contains many health-beneficial and bioactive chemicals, such as alkaloids, carotenoids, phenols, tannins, and flavonoids; it also contains vitamins C, B3, B6, and B9. Hence, the beetroot extract exhibits both antioxidant and nutritional properties. The study was conducted to investigate the effects of two different drying processes, oven-drying (OD) and freeze-drying (FD), on the physicochemical qualities of betalain pigments and antioxidants. Overall, freeze-dried (FD) samples demonstrated superior retention of beetroots proximate composition when compared to those dried in the oven. This was observed in terms of minerals and antioxidants, with freeze-drying resulting in higher levels of these components compared to oven drying. On the other hand, reductions in some phenolic compounds were found in the samples treated with the freeze-drying method when compared with the oven-drying method. It was proven that red beets have a lot of phenolic compounds, including kaempferol, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, gallic acid, catechin acid, rutin, hesperidin, naringin, quercetin, and ferulic acid.