Effect of medicinal plant extracts on the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of gelatin jelly

Abstract

This study was to develop a gelatin jelly containing 0.5% medicinal plant extracts (MPEs). We investigated the effects of the MPEs on the antioxidant activity, physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of gelatin jelly. The antioxidant activity of the Lycium chinense Mill fruit and Hovenia dulcis fruit extracts were significantly higher than those of other extracts (P < 0.05). The sweetness, lightness and hue angle of gelatin jellies containing MPEs were lower than those of the control jelly, whereas the pH, redness and yellowness were higher than those of the control (P < 0.05). Among the gelatin jellies, the gelatin jelly with Cudrania tricus-pidata Bureau had the highest values of breaking force, deformation and gel strength as well as the color and taste scores of sensory characteristics. Taken together, MPEs would appear to have a positive effect on the jelly quality in terms of most of the physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation.