Technology promotes the use of chia seeds to help improve health, slow down signs of aging

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. An innovative extraction method involving chia seeds could provide new options for nutritional foods, medicinal capsules and anti-aging products.

A Purdue University research team has developed and patented a method for separating mucus from chia seeds, creating a protein-rich chia seed powder with improved bioactivity and functionality compared to conventional methods. common law.

Mucus is a thick and sticky substance that surrounds chia seeds and can make it much more difficult or nearly impossible to process chia seeds for food or medicinal uses.

“We are very excited about our extraction method because it opens up so many new possibilities in using chia seeds,” said Dr. Graduates at Purdue’s College of Agriculture join an innovation team led by Andrea Liceaga, an associate professor of food science. “Our process uses temperature, ultrasound, and vacuum-assisted filtration to deliver improved efficiency that saves companies both time and money for chia seed processing for nutritional applications, pharmaceutical, anti-aging or other applications.”

Clean chia seeds after extracting mucilage by ultrasonic and vacuum filtration (A); chia seeds with residual mucilage by sonication and centrifugation (B). (Image provided)

Chia seeds have been used as a source of protein for centuries, but Urbizo says conventional separation methods such as freeze-drying can be expensive, time consuming and can damage the seeds’ useful components and reduce total output.

Purdue University researchers also tested the method they developed for potential applications such as using mucus and peptides to develop membranes that could be used in drug capsules and products corresponding anti-aging.

“Our method offers an innovative option for creating products that use ingredients, mainly peptides, from chia seeds to inhibit enzymes that play a role in aging,” says Liceaga. skin.

This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a project funded under the Hatch Act 1019794.

The innovators worked with the Purdue Research Foundation’s Office of Technology Commercialization to patent the technology. This work will be featured at the OTC Technology Expo 2021: State of Innovation. The annual rollout, held most of this year from February 10-11, will showcase novel innovations from inventors at Purdue and across Indiana. More information is available by emailing showcase@prf.org.

Innovators are looking for partners to further develop and commercialize their technology. For more information on licensing and other opportunities, contact OTC Abhijit Karve at aakarve@prf.org and mention tracking code 2020-LICE-68853.

About Purdue Research Fund Office of Technology Trade

Purdue Research Foundation’s Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the United States. Intellectual Property. The office recently moved to the Converged Innovation and Collaboration Center in Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus. In fiscal year 2020, the office reported 148 agreements were completed with 225 technologies signed, 408 disclosures received, and 180 US patents granted. The office is administered by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Economic Prosperity and Innovation Colleges Award for placement from the Consortium of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020, the IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally for start-ups and in the top 20 for patents. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation established to advance the mission of Purdue University. Contact otcip@prf.org for more information.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a leading public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked 5th among the most innovative universities in the United States by US News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and extraordinary discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue provides a transformative education for all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue froze tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue relentlessly pursues the next leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Chris Adam, cladam@prf.org

Source: Uriel Urbizo, uurbizor@purdue.edu

Andrea Liceaga, aliceaga@purdue.edu