Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Currently consumers shift their dietary habits towards healthier food options, especially those which convey an adequate intake of nutrients and present therapeutic effects.This leads to the consumption of products which were abundant and consumed in the past and nowadays are becoming more popular and appreciated.That is the case of seeds, particularly, Salvia hispanica L. seeds (commonly known as chia) which have been incorporated in diets and attained great popularity due to its health benefits and functional properties.Moreover its approval as a Novel Food by the European Parliament allowed its incorporation in several food products, making them available everywhere [1].Regarding its nutritional aspects, chia seeds are a great source of fat, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids such as α-linolenic (ALA, n-3, more than 60%, which can be converted into eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids, both essential fatty acids to the organism) and linoleic (LA, n-6, almost 20%) acids, presenting a very low n-6/n-3 ratio (around 0.30).They also present high levels of protein (between 16 to 26%, mainly prolamins, glutelins, globulins, albumins) with nine essential amino acids in appreciable amounts (glutamic acid is the most abundant).The carbohydrate content ranges from 23 to 41%.The dietary fibre includes cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, pectin, gums, mucilage and other polysaccharides and oligosaccharides, with a content of 85% of insoluble fibre.Furthermore they are rich in vitamins (predominantly from complex B [thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid] and also C and E) and minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc and selenium).Additionally, the absence of gluten makes them appropriate for celiac patients, being also a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity: chlorogenic and caffeic acids, quercetin, kaempferol, phytosterols, carotenoids, tocopherols and phenolic compounds.They are also free of mycotoxins and have metal levels within safe limits.Nevertheless their composition is dependent on the climate and cultivation region of the plant.The emulsifying properties are another relevant characteristic of chia seeds since they allow the formation of a polysaccharide gel, functioning as a stabilizer and thickening agent useful in the food processing industry.Besides their by-products, such is the case of the oil and the flour, are both industrially added to numerous products [1-3].
Authors: M. Beatriz P P Oliveira, Diana Melo
Language: English
Topic: Seed and Plant Biochemistry
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3023269697