A beetroot-based beverage produced by adding Lacticaseibacillus paracasei: an optimization study

The present study aimed to optimize the production conditions of a beetroot-based beverage using Lacticasei-bacillus paracasei. The experiment was meticulously planned and executed using the Box–Behnken design in Response Surface Methodology (RSM), which provided 17 different combinations. The independent variables in this study included the heat treatment temperature (60–80℃, the heat treatment time (10–30 s), and the incuba-tion temperature (24–36℃). The variables evaluated in this study included pH, total acidity (TA), total phenolic content (TPC), total betalain content (TBC), yellow color (OD420), general acceptance (GA), and total count of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). The samples were determined to have TPC ranging from 67.90 to 437.15 mg GA/L and TBC ranging from 147.52 to 747.21 mg/L. The samples subjected to incubation temperatures of 30℃ and 36℃ were typically favored by the panelists and exhibited better results in terms of chemical analysis compared to the samples incubated at 24℃. According to RSM, heat treatment at 60°C for 22 min and an incubation temperature of 31°C were the optimum production conditions. Under these optimal conditions, RBJ has maximum TBC, total LAB, and GA scores, indicating nutrient-dense and appealing to consumers.