# Microbiological Safety and Health Properties of Markleted Fermented Root Vegetables
## 5 Conclusions  
The present study demonstrates that fermented root vegetables, due to their antioxidant activity and microbiological composition, hold significant potential to enhance the human diet and contribute to maintaining optimal health. The analyzed pickles were characterized by various antioxidant potentials that were decreasing, as follows: beetroot > celeriac > radish > carrot > white radish. All spectrophotometric methods used in the study, i.e., FC, CUPRAC, and DPPH, were positively correlated. Pasteurized products were characterized by greater TPC than unpasteurized ones. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between LAB and antioxidant potential. While the antioxidant potential of the pickled vegetables was lower than that of their fresh equivalents, all the analyzed products were found to be valuable sources of antioxidants.  
The study also confirmed that pasteurization effectively eliminates microorganisms, thus precluding these products from being classified as probiotic foods. In contrast, unpasteurized products contained a diverse range of microorganisms, including LAB from the _Lactobacillaceae_ family, specifically _Lactobacillus plantarum_, _Levilactobacillus brevis_, and _Lacticaseibacillus paracase_. Moreover, seven out of the eleven unpasteurized products met the FAO/WHO criteria for probiotic food. However, microbiological contamination by coliforms was detected in three vegetable samples, with the number of _Escherichia coli_ CFU/mL exceeding the European Commission's established limit for fruits and vegetables.  
Cluster analysis successfully differentiated vegetable samples based on their antioxidant potential, revealing similarities between the _Apiaceae_ and _Brassicaceae_ families, as well as distinct differences from the _Amaranthaceae_ family. This classification correlates with the elemental composition and the bioactive substance content, particularly phenols, in the root vegetables. Vegetables with higher copper content were primarily associated with the CUPRAC method, while phenol-rich roots corresponded with the FC assay.  
In conclusion, unpasteurized pickled root vegetables available on the Polish market can indeed be classified as probiotic foods. Nevertheless, there is still much unknown about fermented vegetables, especially roots. Further investigation is essential to comprehensively understand the effects of fermentation on the nutritional profile and health benefits of edible roots.  
Conceptualization, E.K. and M.G.; funding acquisition, E.K., M.G. and K.W.; methodology, E.K., M.G. and R.H.; validation, E.K.; formal analysis, E.K.; investigation, E.K., R.H. and K.T.; data curation, E.K. and R.H.; resources, M.G. and K.W.; project administration, E.K.; software, E.K.; writing--original draft preparation, E.K., K.K.-C. and J.O.; writing--review and editing, E.K., K.K.-C., J.O., K.T., R.H., K.W. and M.G.; visualization, E.K. and M.G.; supervision, M.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research received financial support from Medical University of Gdansk (Young Scientist Funding: 01-50022/0003381/01/643/504 and Statutory Research Funding 01-50023/0004927/01/504/0/0/2023  
**Institutional Review Board Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Informed Consent Statement:** Not applicable.  
**Data Availability Statement:** The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.  
**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflicts of interest.