Effect of Mucilage Extraction on the Functional Properties of Chia Meals

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an annual herbaceous plant that belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which is native to southern Mexico and northern Guatemala. The Salvia hispanica fruit con‐ sists of four nutlets, similar to an indehiscent achene, which contain a single seed. These nut‐ lets are commonly called “seeds” [1]. Chia seed, together with corn, beans, and amaranth were important crops for pre-Columbian civilizations in America, including the Mayan and Aztec populations [2, 3]. With time its use was abandoned, but by at the end of the last cen‐ tury there was a resurgence of interest in chia due to its nutritional value [4]. Chia is consid‐ ered an alternative crop to diversify and stabilize the economy of Northwestern Argentina [5]. The plant produces numerous small white and dark seeds that mature in autumn [6]. These seeds contain about 30% oil, and they mainly consist of unsaturated fatty acids [4, 7]. Chia seeds are a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, proteins, vitamins, min‐ erals and dietary fiber [5, 7, 8].