SALVIA HISPANICA (CHIA) SEEDS – A REVIEW ON PHARMACOLOGICAL BENEFITS, NUTRACEUTICAL PROPERTIES, EXTRACTION METHOD AND APPLICATIONS

The plant Salvia hispanica belongs to the family Lamiaceae, a highly valued medicinally important seed, commonly known as chia seeds. About 75% of the fats in chia seeds consist of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), while about 20% consist of omega-6 fatty acid. Omega-3s play an important role in sharpening memory and improving mood. Chia seeds also contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins (A, C, E, niacin, thiamine), and minerals. Besides this, the seeds are an excellent source of polyphenols and antioxidants, such as caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, myricetin, quercetin, and others. These antioxidants exhibit the capacity to scavenge free radicals. Chia’s health benefits as a dietary supplement and efforts are underway to promote it as ‘functional food’ owing to the presence of α-linolenic acid, an essential precursor fatty acid of physiologically significant polyunsaturated fatty acids. Chia seeds also possess various pharmacological activities like anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer and it also reduces the risk factors of heart disease. It is commonly used for weight loss. And it also shows a neuroprotective effect. These studies reveal that Salvia hispanica is a source of medicinally active compounds and have various pharmacological benefits. This article aims to present the Nutritional and Pharmacological benefits of chia, its extraction method and its applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.