Salvia hispanica L.: A potential new seed material for production of nutritionally valuable oil

Abstract

Salvia hispanica L., commonly known as chia, is pseudocereal present on the market in the form of seeds, which are sold in health food stores and usually are imported, as they are not grown commercially in our country. Chia originates from South America where it is grown for centuries and used as food, and is particularly distinctive and important because of essential ω-3, α-linolenic fatty acid content. Chia seeds oil contains up to 69.3 g/100 g of α-linolenic acid, which makes it the richest source of these fatty acids, compared to camelina (false flax) oil (Camelina sativa L.), containing 36 g/100 g, perilla oil (Perilla frutescens L.) with amount of 53 g/100 g and flaxseed oil (Linum usitatissimum L.) containing 57 g/100 g of α-linolenic fatty acid. The total oil content in the chia seeds can be up to 38.6 g/100 g. Also, the chia seeds are characterized by a high amount of protein (19-27 g/100 g), as well as dietary fiber (30 g/100 g).

Salvia hispanica L. poznatija pod imenom čia je pseudožitarica koja je prisutna na našem tržištu u vidu semenki koje se prodaju u radnjama zdrave hrane i najčešće potiču iz uvoza, jer se čia kod nas komercijalno ne uzgaja. Čia vodi poreklo iz Južne Amerike gde se već vekovima gaji i koristi u ishrani, a ono što je posebno čini važnom jeste sadržaj esencijalne ω-3 masne kiseline, α-linolenske. Ulje semenki čie sadrži i do 69,3 g/100 g α-linolenske kiseline, što je čini najbogatijim izvorom ove masne kiseline, u poređenju sa uljem semenki divljeg lana (Camelina sativa L.) koje sadrži 36 g/100 g, perila ulja (Perilla frutescens L.) sa 53 g/100 g i uljem semenki lana (Linum usitatissimum L.) koje sadrži 57 g/100 g α-linolenske kiseline. Sadržaj ulja u semenkama čie može biti i i do 38,6 g/100 g semena. Takođe, semenke karakteriše visok sadržaj proteina (19-27 g/100 g) i dijetetskih vlakana (do 30 g/100 g).