ULTRASOUND-ASSISTED EXTRACTION OF OIL FROM CHIA (SALVIA HISPANICA L.) SEEDS: OPTIMIZATION EXTRACTION AND FATTY ACID PROFILE

The objective of the present study was to evaluate ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) to obtain oil from chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.). A Box-Behnken design was applied to investigate and optimize the process variables (temperature, solvent to seed ratio and time) for oil yield. The solvent to seed ratio and temperature had the greatest influence on oil yield, followed by the extraction time (P < 0.05). An extraction temperature of 50C, a solvent to seed ratio of 12 mL/g and 40 min of extraction were identified as the optimal conditions, with 27.24% oil yield. The application of ultrasound resulted in higher oil yield when compared with the process without ultrasound (P < 0.05). The fatty acid composition extracted by UAE was similar to that of oil extracted using other extraction methods. Linolenic acid (similar to 66%) and linoleic acid (similar to 20%) were the main fatty acid constituents of chia seed oil. The quantity of unsaturated fatty acids was higher than saturated fatty acids.