Red Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var rubra L.) is a Potential Source of Nitrate as a Functional Food: A Review

Beetroot is known for the common varieties which are the red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.var Rubra L.), characterized by a dark red tuber and the white beetroot/cut beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var Cicla L.) with a whitish red tuber. Beetroot is also known for its potential bioactive content, such as nitrate, phenolics, betalains, ascorbic acid, carotenoids and saponins, which are processed into various functional foods of high nutritional value. This article aims to review role of the nitrate as a bioactive compound in red beetroot, its benefits as a functional food ingredient and its benefits for health. The research was conducted at Brawijaya University Malang, Indonesia during 2024. Nitrate is a major potential component in beetroot that has been widely studied as an implementation in health improvement such as metabolic disorders. Nitrate is naturally formed in plants and subsequently converted to nitric oxide (NO) in the human body which is known to have beneficial effects for clinical application. NO could regulate metabolic disorder-induced metabolic diseases, such as reduced blood pressure, increased oxygen, nutrient delivery to the active muscle and mediator for neurotransmission, vasodilatation, nerve function and also as immune defense. Beetroot can have added value if it is converted into a functional product. Beetroot can be formulated as a fresh product, fermented, bread, powder, chips, gel and cereal bar. Functional beetroot production can be a new strategy for increasing the nutritional content with high bioaccessibility such as nitrate, potassium and antioxidants which have the potential to improve heart health and sports performance.