Abstract
To evaluate the methanol extract from Pinus strobus leave as a possible ingredient of health food, the sensory analysis and an animal experiment were designed using cookie, candy or chewing gum containing the methanol extract. Cookie, candy and chewing gum which contained 0.4%, 0.25% and 0.3% of the methanol extract, respectively, were prepared by Haitai Confectionary CO.. Sensory analysis of the products was evaluated by hedonic scale. Our results indicated that the addition of the methanol extract to the products provides better sensory perception in hedonic score and higher preference number than control, especially in candy and cookie. In the animal experiment, the chickens fed diet containing 10% of the cookie powder for 2 weeks exhibited a reduction of the serum cholesterol level by 18%, compared with the chickens fed basal diet. This result suggested that the methanol extract from P. strobus leave contained a potential ingredient to reduce the concentration of serum cholesterol. Therefore, extract from Pinus strobus leaves can be used as an ingredient of health food.
