Comparative evaluation of aqueous Beta vulgaris extract as a natural microbial dye relative to standard stains through image processing

The growing environmental concerns about synthetic dyes have increased interest in finding natural, non-toxic alternatives for microbiological staining. This study assesses the effectiveness of aqueous Beta vulgaris (beetroot) extract as a staining agent for microorganisms, comparing its performance with traditional dyes. Microbial smears containing bacteria and fungi were prepared using both standard dyes and Beta vulgaris extract. Microscopic images were taken and analyzed quantitatively, using measures such as sharpness, entropy, contrast, signal-to-noise ratio, and edge intensity. While statistical analysis with the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test showed no significant differences in most parameters (p > 0.05), the Beta vulgaris extract showed clear advantages in fungal staining, providing better morphological detail. However, bacterial staining was less sharp visually. These results suggest that aqueous Beta vulgaris extract has potential as a sustainable alternative for specific microbial staining, especially for identifying fungi, though further refinement and broader microbial testing are needed.