Chapter 17 – Chia—The New Golden Seed for the 21st Century: Nutraceutical Properties and Technological Uses

Salvia hispanica L., commonly known as chia, is an ancient food that provides a balanced amount of nutrients composed of insoluble fiber, high ω-3/-6 fatty acids, proteins with an excellent quality of amino acids, high content of antioxidants, and minerals. In the first instance, chia seed coat contains mucilage that protects all seed nutrients and is involved in water retention in foods. The seed is a valuable source of one of the most important ω-3 fatty acids, α-linoleic. Chia seed storage proteins are composed mainly of globulin, followed by albumin, prolamin, and glutelin fractions containing essential amino acids encrypted in their primary sequences. Rosmarinic, caffeic, and gallic acids are the main phenolic compounds. Nutritionists, researchers, and industry have paid attention to chia for its outstanding benefits. Chia is now recognized as a “seed for the first 21st century” that confers invaluable nutraceutical benefits such as antihypertensive and antioxidant functions. The seed compounds may be improved and modified by genome edition technologies to obtain better nutraceutical attributes for health and food industry. Chia can be crowned as the new golden and super seed with excellent benefits for human health.