title: Assessing gelling properties of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) flour through rheological characterization.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds are considered a promising ingredient for the development of functional products owing to their high nutritional value: 343 g kg-1lipids, 251 g kg-1protein and 226 g kg-1fibre. Considering chia's technological capacities, mainly the ability to swell when absorbing water and gel-forming properties, its addition to a food matrix can affect texture and rheological behaviour, acting as a texturing and stabilizing agent. The aim of the present work was to assess the gelling properties of chia flour through the rheological characterization of 100, 130 and 150 g kg-1chia flour gels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the mechanical spectra, all gels presented weak gel-like structures, as G' was always less than a decade higher than G″, but higher chia flour concentrations showed a considerable increase in viscoelastic moduli. The gels had relatively low maturation times, almost instantaneous for lower concentrations, but the cooling rate affected the dynamics of formation of the gel structure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on texture and rheological properties, gels with 130 g kg-1of chia flour processed at 90 °C for 30 min showed the most suitable characteristics for use in the development of new food applications. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, P-2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: LEAF, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, P-1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fradinho
authors.affiliation: LAQV, REQUIMTE, Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, P-2829-516, Caparica, Portugal.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mata
authors.affiliation: LEAF, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, P-1349-017, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Anabela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raymundo
mesh_terms: D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012212:Rheology; D027544:Salvia / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005782:Gels
keywords: chia gel; chia seeds; rheological properties; texture