Chia Seed as a Source of Oil, Polysaccharide, and Protein

A. A. BUSHWAY, P.R. BELYEA,and R. J. BUSHWAY

ABSTRACT were performed according to procedures outlined in AOAC (1980).

Chia seed, Salvia polystachya, was analyzed as a source of oil,
polysaccharide, and protein for possible use by the food industry.
Seedswere found to contain 30% oil of which more than 90% was
composed of triglycerides. The fatty acid composition of the oil
was found to consist mostly of C16:0, ClS:O, C18:2 and C18:3.
The protein content of chia seed was found to be 23.4%. A very
viscous polysaccharide was isolated from the seeds.Acid hydrolysis
followed by gas liquid chromatographic analysis demonstrated that
xylose and arabinose were the major constituents of the polysac-
charide. Seeds were found to contain niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin
at a concentration of 83, 2 and 14 pg/g seed, respectively. Spectro-
chemical analysis showed the presence of eleven elements with
calcium, potassium, and phosphorus being the most prominent. The
percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, the concentration of protein
and the viscosity of the polysaccharide in chia seedswould indicate
that further research should be conducted to investigate possible
food usesfor these seeds.
INTRODUCTION
CHIA SEEDS from Salvia hispanica L., Salvia colurnbria
Benth, Salvia polystachya and other Salvia members of the
family Labiatae have long been used as a food ingredient
and are especially well known by American Indians and
rural Mexicans. Among the Nahua races of ancient Mexico,
chia plants were cultivated as regularly as corn and were
one of the most important cereals (Parsons, 1955).
Chia seedsare not only a nutritious food but have been
examined and recommended for their oil content (Palma
et al., 1947; Earle et al., 1960).
Salvia hispanica of Mexico yields about 25% extractable
oil with good industrial oil characteristics (Palma et al.,
1947). California chia has some 34% oil of excellent com-
position (Earle et al., 1960). After removal of the oil by
extraction the residue contains approximately 23% protein
(Palma et al., 1947).
When seeds are soaked in water a large amount of clear
mucilagenous gel is extracted into the water and a rather
stiff gel surrounds the seeds.
Although research has been conducted on chia seed oil
and protein, no research has been performed on vitamin
and mineral content and polysaccharide characterization. In
light of the fact that considerable research is being per-
formed on plant oil seeds (Kajs et al., 1979; Seideman
et al., 1979; Manak et al., 1980; Betschart et al., 1979)
an analysis of chia seeds was performed in this laboratory.
Samples for mineral analysis were ashed, dissolved in dilute HCl
and diluted with deionized water before Jnductively Coupled
Plasma (ICP) spectrographic analysis.
Oil extraction and fatty acid analysis
Ten grams of ground chia seed were extracted for 6 hr in ben-
zene:ethanol (2:1, v/v) in a soxhlet extractor. After extraction,
solvent was removed using a rotary evaporator and the oil kept
under nitrogen until thin-layer and gas chromatographic analyses
were performed.
Neutral lipids were separated by thin-layer chromatography
using Silica gel G platesand a solventsystemof petroleumether:
diethyl ether: acetic acid (90:10:1, v/v/v).
Twenty mg samples of chia seed oil were saponified in 0.2N
methanolic NaOH. Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared by
hydrolysis with 14% BF3 in methanol for 10 min at 100°C (Morri-
son and Smith, 1964) and were separated on a 0.3 x 180 cm glass
column packed with 10% SP 2340 on 100/120 mesh Chromsorb
W with temperature programming from 150-220” at 4”C/min.
A Sigma 2 gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization
detector was used. Helium was employed as carrier gas with a flow
rate of 30 ml/min.
Polysaccharide extraction and characterization
Ten grams of defatted chia seedswere added to 300 ml of dis-
tilled water and stirred at 37°C for 3 hr. After 3 hr, 1 liter of 95%
ethanol was added and the mixture stirred 2 hr followed by centri-
fugation at 16,000 x g for 10 min. The supernatant was saved.The
pellet was resuspendedin 95% ethanol and treated as described. The
combined supernatantswere evaporatedto drynesson a rotary
evaporator. The residue was dissolved in lo-20 ml distilled water
and the polysaccharide precipitated by the addition of isopropanol.
Twehty mg samples of the precipitated polysaccharide were
hydrolyzed in 2N HCl at 100°C for 15 hr. Hydrolysis was checked
by TLC. Monosaccharrides were measured separately as alditol ace-
tates by gas liquid chromatography (Vance and Sweeley, 1967). For
this determination a 0.3 x 180 cm glass column packed with 3%
SP 2340 on 100/120 mesh Supelcoport (Supelco, Inc., Belleforte,
PA) was used. The column oven was temperature-programmed from
180-240°C at 3”C/min, with a helium carrier gas flow rate of 30
ml/min, in a Sigma 2 gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ioni-
zation detector.
Viscosity of the polysaccharide was measured at 25°C using a
viscosimeter.
RESULTS& DISCUSSION
THE PROXIMATE ANALYSIS of chia seeds is given in

EXPERIMENTAL Table 1 -Proximate composition of chia seeds

CHIA SEEDS from Salvia polystachya were obtained from Dr. R.L. Assay %a
Whistler, Purdue Univ., W. Lafayette, IN. Seeds were ground in a
Wiley mill prior to analysis. 4.31 f 0.16
Moisture
Fat 29.80 f 0.87
Proximate composition, vitamin, and mineral analyses Fiber 18.00 f 0.64
The proximate composition and vitamin analyses of chia seeds Ash 4.61 k 0.03
Protein .23.60
Carbohydrate 18.70
Authors Bush way, Be/yea, and Bushway are affiliated with the
Phosphorus 0.69 + 0.01
Dept. of Food Science, Holmes Hall, Univ. of Maine, Drone, ME
Calcium 0.54 f 0.01
04469. a All values with standard cieviations,represent the mean of five sam-
ples. All other values are the average of duplicate samples.

Volume 46 (19811-JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE- 1349

Table 1. Of particular note is the oil, protein and carbohy- COmPXiSOB of the vitamin content of chia seeds(Table
drate content of chia seeds.The percentage of oil (Table 1) 3) with that of corn, soybean, rice and safflower seeds
agrees with those values reported earlier (Palma et al., (Watt and Merrill, 1963) demonstrated that chia seedswere
1947; Earle et al., 1960) while the fatty acid content (Table high in niacin and low in vitamin A. The thiamin and ribo-
2) was somewhat different from earlier publications. The flavin Contents were similar to those of other oil seeds
differences in fatty acid content may be a result of the dif- (Watt and Merrill, 1963).
ferent strains of chia analyzed. As with other vegetable oils The mineral composition of deoiled chia seeds is given
the fatty acid composition of chia seeds consists of a high in Table 4. Levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium and
percentage of unsaturated acids. Oleic, linoieic and lino- phosphorus are those expected for plant products (Watt
lenic were found in the highest concentration (Table 2) and Merrill, 1963; Galvao et al., 1976). Trace amounts of
followed by palmitic and stearic acid. No fatty acids of boron, molybdenum, zinc and manganesewere also found
chain length greater than C:20 were shown to be present associated with chia seeds. These data demonstrate that
under the conditions used. deoiled chia seeds are an excellent source of calcium,
As the protein content of chia seedscompares favorably magnesium and phosphorus. Chia seedscontain from 1O2-
with that of other oil seeds (Watt and Merrill, 1963) this lo3 times more calcium per gram than red meats, beans,
protein should be considered for use as an animal and/or peas, wheat, rice and corn (Watt and Merrill, 1963).
human food source especially in light of the research which A l-oz (28.358) portion of chia seeds would furnish
has been published on soybean and cottonseed protein approximately 13%, 29% and 2% of the Recommended
(Rhee and Rhee, 1981; Kajs et al., 1979; Simmons et al., Dietary Allowance (RDA) for niacin, thiamin, and ribo-
1980). flavin, respectively. The percent RDA of the essential ele-
ments, supplied by a l-oz serving of deoiled chia seeds,are
given in Table 4. A l-02 portion of deoiled chia seedswould
Table P-Fatty acid composition of chia seed oil
supply 30% or more of the RDA’s for calcium, phosphorus
and potassium. No RDA has been established for many of
Fatty acid %a the micro-elements although minimum daily intakes have
been recognized (Anon, 1980). Based on these data, a 1-oz
16:O 27.4 serving of deoiled chia seed would furnish 11% of the
16:l 6.9 copper, 30% of the manganese, and 10% of the molybde-
16:2 2.9 num.
18:O 12.3 The iron concentration found in deoiled chia seeds
18:l 21.2 was 48.7 mg/lOOg. This value is high for a seed product and
18:2 12.8 probably represents contamination during processing.
18:3 15.4
20:o 1.1
Isolation and characterization of the chia seed poly-
saccharide gave some interesting results. Acid hydrolysis
a Data are given as weight percentage of total fatty acid methyl followed by gas-liquid chromatographic analysis of the aldi-
esters. Fatty acids are abbreviated as number of carbons: number
of double bonds. Results are averages of duplicate analyses.
to1 acetates give a monosaccharide composition of xylose,
arabinose and rhamnose in the ratio of 4.4: 1.0:0.6 based on
xylose. The viscosity of a 0.2% solution was 30.5 (c in
Table 3-Vitamin content of chia seeds on dry weight basis
terms of g/lOOg). Incubation of the fresh mixture with
trypsin (3 hr at 38°C) did not changethe viscosity. A protein
Vitamin pglg seeda I .u ./g seed assay (Lowry et al., 1951) of the polysaccharide solution
demonstrated the absence of protein. Thus, glycoproteins
Niacin Riboflavin Thiamin Vitamin A probably do not account for the viscosity of the isolated
polysaccharide.
82.50 f 2.50 2.13 f 0.21 14.42 f 1.16 43.0 f 0.10 From a nutritional standpoint, chia seeds are a good
a Each value represents the mean of five samples. Analyses of B source of protein, B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, potas-
vitamins were on deoiled seeds while vitamin A analyses were sium, zinc, and copper. Industrially, research should be con-
performed on total seeds.
ducted which would utilize the oil, polysaccharide, and
protein as food sources.
Table I-Content of essential elements in deoiled chia seeds on dry
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CHIA SEED OIL, POL YSACCHARIDE & PROTEIN. . . From page 1350

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1980 Cottonseed and soy protein ingredients in soft-serve frozen

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