Pasting, viscoelastic, and physicochemical properties of chia (Salvia hispanica L) flour and mucilage

Chia seed has important nutritional properties; however, its pasting properties have not been reported. These properties are commonly used to know the behavior and quality of cereals. Although, chia seed is not a cereal as such, its application in the food itself has focused on the enrichment of cereal flours and other products where the viscosity is critical. Therefore, this work is focused on the study of the pasting and physicochemical characterization of chia flours and the mucilage. The SEM showed that the chia seed has a fat covering over much of the seminal structure; the fiber is found around of globular structures which apparently are proteins. The X-ray diffraction proved that the chia seed is high in Ca and Mg, forming complexes of Ca(CO)(3) and Magnesium Hydrogen Phosphate Hydrate, that have not been reported previously. The infrared studies confirm the presence of protein, carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats. The functional properties showed that chia absorbs large amounts of water, which affect the viscosity of the chia flour. The pasting properties of chia flour showed that the relative viscosity is governed by the fiber and proteins, and it is dependent upon the concentration and the temperature, and the mucilage did not exhibit a dependency on temperature. However, its rheology showed a shear-thinning behavior, modeled by power law at low concentration. It is concluded that the pasting and rheological properties of chia flour and mucilage are affected by the fiber which acts synergistically with the proteins increasing the viscosity within the suspensions.