Storage stability of chia ( Salvia hispanica L.) oil incorporated with astaxanthin

Ingest of astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids is related to several health benefits. Chia oil is one of the principal sources of α-linolenic acid (ALA) belonging to the omega-3 fatty acids. This work evaluated the stability of blends of chia oil and astaxanthin (400 µg/g oil) during storage at 25, 45, and 65°C during 35, 16, and 4 days, respectively. The effect of α-tocopherol addition (100 µg/g oil) was also evaluated. The highest antioxidant activity (2.29 ± 0.11 µmol Trolox/g oil) was observed in oil added with α-tocopherol and astaxanthin. However, the lipid oxidation products of this oil increased approximately twofold compared to the oil added only with astaxanthin at 25°C and 35 days of storage. Blends of chia oil and astaxanthin stored at 25°C showed good stability; ALA content did not change significantly (p > .05) and approximately 74% of astaxanthin was preserved after 35 days of storage compared to the initial content. Practical applications Nowadays, consumers tend to choose natural products in search of foods with recognized health benefits. The results from this study showed that incorporating astaxanthin into chia oil is a promising strategy to increase the benefits of both compounds. Astaxanthin and chia oil blend can be used in the development of delivery systems for functional food applications.