Physical, Total Phenolic and Total Flavonoid Properties of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) Seeds Grown in Kenya

Abstract

In the recent past, there has been an increased uptake of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) by consumers resulting in the increased adoption of chia farming,

particularly in Kenya whereby most farmers are practicing subsistence farming and a few farming it commercially. The widespread farming of chia seeds in Kenya translates to increase uptake at household level while offering a niche for industrial processing of chia seeds necessitating the need for studies on physical, total phenolic and flavonoid properties of chia seeds grown in Kenya. The physical, total phenolic and flavonoid properties of chia seeds from two chia planting seasons April to August 2019 and September to December 2019 were evaluated. The physical attributes (length, width and thickness) were determined using a digital vernier caliper while proximate components were determined using AOAC standard methods. The Quencher procedure was used to determine the total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Chia seeds revealed a length of 1.82 to 2.32 (mm), a width of 1.15 to 1.31 (mm) and a thickness of 0.77 to 0.88 (mm). The percentage moisture content of chia seeds was 7.23 to 10.67, the percentage of crude fat was 31.48 to 42.45, the percentage of crude ash was 3.63 to 6.82, and the percentage of crude fibre was 30.95 to 38.65 and the percentage of crude protein was17.82 to 28.97. The total phenolic content observed

for chia seeds was 0.73 to 0.87 mg GAE g −1 while the total flavonoid content was 0.39 to 0.57 mg GAE g −1 . The proximate components of chia seeds varied sig- nificantly (p < 0.05) based on the chia planting season while the physical properties, total phenolics and total flavonoid contents did not vary significantly.