Research Progress on Chemical Composition, Extraction Technology and Physiological Activity of Chia Seed Oil

Chia seed is the seed of Salvia Hispanica L and native to North America. In recent years, it has drew the attention of researchers and scholars and has been applied in China because of its long history of consumption, rich nutrients, strong antioxidant effect and other characteristics. The main physiological activity of chia seeds is derived from oil, and the oil content is about 25.50%-29.40%. The content of a-linolenic acid, linoleic acid and other unsaturated fatty acids in chia seed oil is up to 80%, and the composition ratio of n-6 / n-3 fatty acids is very suitable for human dietary needs, which is a potential new functional oil. Chia seed oil contains sterols, tocopherols, squalene, carotenoids, polyphenol and other chemical components, which have a variety of physiological activities such as regulating blood lipid, anti-oxidation and promoting tumor cell apoptosis. At present, the separation methods of chia seed oil at home and abroad include pressing method, leaching method and supercritical extraction method. Chia seed oil has good physiological activity function and can be promoted to the industries such food, health care products and cosmetics, with broad development prospects. At present, there are few studies on chia seed oil in China, and most of them are focused on functional research, with few reports on action mechanism, and the development and utilization of chia seed oil is also at the initial stage. In this paper, the chemical components and extraction methods of chia seed oil were reviewed, and the general research on its physiological activities were summarized. The development prospect of chia seed oil was proposed, so as to provide a basis for the development and utilization of chia seed oil resources.