## 3 Results and Discussion
### Physical Properties  
#### 3.2.1 Basic physical properties  
Table 2 shows that the fresh yellow beetroot had a dry matter content of 10.21%, the highest among the non-freeze-dried samples. This content is lower than that of red beetroot, which has a dry matter content of about 13%, according to [PERSON] et al. [45]. The difference between these two types of beetroots could be due to factors such as the variety, cultivation, and weather conditions [46]. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c} \hline \hline \begin{tabular}{c} **Salt** \\ **Addition (\%)** \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} **Day Matter** \\ **after Fermentation [\%]** \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} **Dry Matter of** \\ **after FD [\%]** \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} **pH of Brine** \\ **(-)** \\ \end{tabular}  & \ \begin{tabular}{c} **Measured Salt** \\ **Content (\%)** \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} **Total Acidity (g Lactic Acid/** \\ **100 g Sample)** \\ \end{tabular}  \\ \hline Fresh & 0 & 10.92 \(\pm\) 0.13 \({}^{\text{A}}\) & 96.75 \(\pm\) 0.15 \({}^{\text{B-E}}\) & 6.28 \(\pm\) 0.06 \({}^{\text{A}}\) & 0.25 \(\pm\) 0.01 \({}^{\text{T}}\) & 4.1 \(\pm\) 0.0 \({}^{\text{R}}\) \\ \hline
0 & & 5.7 \(\pm\) 0. The dry matter content of the samples decreased during fermentation regardless of the salt concentration. This is because microorganisms use sugars to produce lactic acid, which leads to a decrease in dry matter [47]. Changes in dry matter may also be caused by the osmosis process, whereby water-soluble substances migrate into the brine. This process causes water from the product to be transferred to the osmotic solution (brine), while solutes in the solution are transported to the food product [48; 49]. However, a significant increase in dry matter can be observed with the addition of salt during fermentation. This is because salt causes the release of nutrients from cells via osmosis, which is also used by LAB bacteria. After freeze-drying, the dry matter content in all the samples increased to above 90%. This is because freeze-drying allows for the removal of most of the water [50]. The dry matter content of the fresh beetroot increased from 10.92 \(\pm\) 0.13 before freeze-drying to 96.75 \(\pm\) 0.15 after freeze-drying. The lowest values were observed in the samples after storage. The samples with a lower dry matter content before freeze-drying also had a lower dry matter content after freeze-drying, and a higher salt addition during fermentation resulted in greater dry substance after freeze-drying. The fermentation time did not have a significant effect on the changes in dry matter, but the dry substance content ratio was maintained. It is important to note that yellow beetroot contains naturally occurring salt at a level of 0.25% (Table 2). When the samples without added salt in the brine (0%) were tested, they showed a salt content similar to that of fresh beetroot, which is consistent with the natural salt present in beetroots. However, significant changes in the salt content were observed during fermentation. As the salt concentration increased in subsequent brines, higher salt contents were observed in the samples. On the fourth day, a salt concentration lower than that in the added brine was observed. It is worth noting that ultimately, over 30% of the salt penetrated the beetroot tissue. The highest amount of salt diffused in the lowest concentration (1%). This transport of salt from the brine to the beetroot tissue can be explained by osmosis-related diffusion. The substance from the higher-concentration solution diffuses into the lower-concentration plant tissue. The differences in the salt content during fermentation may result from the attempt to establish a concentration balance [49; 51]. The total acidity and pH values are correlated. The higher the acidity, the lower the pH. This correlation is influenced by the lactic acid produced by fermentation bacteria.