Adding value to the chia (Salvia hispanica L.) expeller: Production of bioactive peptides with antioxidant properties by enzymatic hydrolysis with Papain

Chia expeller is a by-product of the extrusion process of chia seeds generated during oil production. Typically, this material is non-utilized or used for non-valuable applications. In the present work, the chia expeller was hydrolysed with Papain and the antioxidant properties of the resultant peptides were evaluated. Papain treatment of the chia seed expeller demonstrated an enrichment of low molecular weight peptides (molecular weight < 15 kDa) as determined by SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF/MS analyses. Such peptides showed a potent radical scavenging effect in vitro against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radicals in comparison with those non-hydrolysed samples. Taken together our results demonstrate the generation of functional peptides from the chia expeller by enzymatic hydrolysis with Papain. This value-added hydrolysate can be potentially included as a supplement in functional food and nutraceutical products.