%0 Journal Article
%T Chemical and Functional Properties of Chia Seed (Salvia hispanica L.) Gum
%A Maira Rubi Segura-Campos
%A Norma Ciau-Sol¨ªs
%A Gabriel Rosado-Rubio
%A Luis Chel-Guerrero
%A David Betancur-Ancona
%J International Journal of Food Science
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/241053
%X Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) constitutes a potential alternative raw material and ingredient in food industry applications due to its dietary fiber content. Gum can be extracted from its dietary fiber fractions for use as an additive to control viscosity, stability, texture, and consistency in food systems. The gum extracted from chia seeds was characterized to determine their quality and potential as functional food additives. The extracted chia gum contained 26.2% fat and a portion was submitted to fat extraction, producing two fractions: gum with fat (FCG) and gum partly defatted (PDCG). Proximal composition and physicochemical characterization showed these fractions to be different ( ). The PDCG had higher protein, ash, and carbohydrates content than the FCG, in addition to higher water-holding (110.5£¿g water/g fiber) and water-binding capacities (0.84£¿g water/g fiber). The FCG had greater oil-holding capacity (25.7£¿g oil/g fiber) and water absorption capacity (44£¿g water/g fiber). In dispersion trials, the gums exhibited a non-Newtonian fluid behavior, specifically shear thinning or pseudoplastic type. PDCG had more viscosity than FCG. Chia seed is an excellent natural source of gum with good physicochemical and functional qualities, and is very promising for use in food industry. 1. Introduction The Chia (Salvia hispanica) seed was used as an offering to the Aztec gods, and, because of its religious use, it essentially disappeared for 500 years. This is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae or Labiatae family. In pre-Columbian times, it was one of the basic foods of several Central American civilizations, less important than corn and beans, but more important than amaranth [1]. Seeds are consumed in M¨¦xico, Argentina, and the southwestern United States. The chemical composition reports contents of protein (15¨C25%), fats (30¨C33%), carbohydrates (26¨C41%), dietary fiber (18¨C30%), and ash (4-5%). It also contains a high amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants [2]. Chia seeds have been investigated and recommended due to their high levels of proteins, antioxidants, dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals but particularly due to their oil content with the highest proportion of ¦Á-linolenic acid ( -3) compared to other natural sources known to date [3]. Chia seeds contain up to 39% of oil, which has the highest known content of ¦Á-linolenic acid, up to 68% [4]. Chia seed gum has the potential for industrial use because of its slimy properties, evident even at very low concentration, and because the plant, native to America, grows well in
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfs/2014/241053/