Physiological, biochemical, and biophysical changes in chia seeds during accelerated aging: implications for lipid composition and seed quality

María Emilia Rodríguez; Ethel Pérez; Martín Moisés Acreche; Aline Schneider-Teixeira; Lorena Deladino; Vanesa Ixtaina

doi:10.1007/s12298-025-01595-1

Physiological, biochemical, and biophysical changes in chia seeds during accelerated aging: implications for lipid composition and seed quality

Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2025 Apr;31(4):623-640. doi: 10.1007/s12298-025-01595-1. Epub 2025 May 21.

Authors

María Emilia Rodríguez^{1

2}, Ethel Pérez^{3

4}, Martín Moisés Acreche⁵, Aline Schneider-Teixeira⁶, Lorena Deladino¹, Vanesa Ixtaina^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (CIDCA), CONICET La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas (UNLP), CICPBA, Calle 47 y 116, La Plata, 1900 Buenos Aires Argentina.
² Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, UNLP, Calle 60 y 119, La Plata, 1900 Buenos Aires Argentina.
³ Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química - PLAPIQUI, UNS-CONICET, Camino La Carrindanga km 7, 8000 Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Argentina.
⁴ Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS), Av. Alem 1253. Primer Piso-Ala C, Bahía Blanca, 8000 Buenos Aires Argentina.
⁵ Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Salta, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), CONICET, Ruta Nacional 68, km 172, Cerrillos, 4403 Salta Argentina.
⁶ YPF-TECNOLOGÍA (Y-TEC), Av. del Petróleo S/N entre 129 y 143, Berisso, 1923 Buenos Aires Argentina.

PMID: 40443468
PMCID: PMC12116978 (available on 2026-04-01)
DOI: 10.1007/s12298-025-01595-1

Abstract

Chia, an oilseed native to Mexico and Guatemala, is prized for its nutrition and versatile uses in food and industry. Ex situ conservation of chia seeds is vital, yet their high lipid content complicates long-term storage. This study investigates artificial aging's impact on chia seed quality, emphasizing oxidative stress effects on lipid composition, antioxidants, and physiological properties. Two chia genotypes -one with mixed seed colors (MN) and another exclusively white (WN)- were subjected to accelerated aging to analyze germination, growth, electrical conductivity, and biochemical and biophysical changes over time. Accelerated aging revealed stress tolerance in chia seeds but significantly impacted germination and biochemical composition. Germination decreased from 100 to 0% over 56 days, with reduced radicle and hypocotyl lengths, fewer normal seedlings, and more abnormal or dead seeds. Peroxide values rose significantly, from 1.81 to 6.50 meq.kg^-1 (WN) and 0.85 to 3.22 meq.kg^-1 (MN), while free fatty acids increased from 0.41 to 2.95% oleic (WN) and 0.40 to 3.18% oleic (MN). Tocopherol content decreased markedly, disrupting the antioxidant-prooxidant balance. These biochemical changes resulted in higher saturated fatty acids, reducing membrane fluidity, and increasing electrical conductivity from 129.26 to 399.25 μS.cm^-1.g^-1 (WN) and 177.06 to 500.81 μS.cm^-1.g^-1 (MN). Thermal properties analyzed by DSC highlighted transitions within -90 to 100 °C, while FTIR spectroscopy revealed viability-related changes, particularly in the 1740 cm^-1 region. These findings underscore the impact of oxidative stress on seed quality, posing challenges for conservation and commercialization and emphasizing the need for strategies to mitigate storage-related deterioration.

Keywords: DSC; FTIR; Fatty acids; Germination; Reactive oxygen species; Viability.

© Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society 2025. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.