Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an expanding functional food crop from Central America, but little is known about effects of new growing environments and agronomical treatments on seed quality. The quality of seeds produced in Europe has never been reported and there’s a lack of information on secondary metabolites of leaves, an emerging product of Chia. In this work, the nutritional quality and oxidative stability of Chia seeds produced in Southern Italy (Basilicata region) have been evaluated, taking into account also different nitrogen fertilization strategies. The quality of seeds produced in Basilicata has been also compared with that of commercially available seeds from traditional and new production areas. Oil extracted from Italian Chia seeds was not quantitatively significantly different, but more rich in chlorophyll, carotenoids and α-linolenic acid than in commercial seeds. Oxidative stability, polyphenols and antioxidant activity were also influenced by seed source. Fertilization system affected free acidity, chlorophyll and carotenoids, whereas it reduced p-Anisidine value, phenols and oxidative stability. Moreover, the metabolic profile of Chia leaves has been reported for the first time; in particular, several flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids, and the two uncommon flavonoids acetyl vitexin and acetyl orientin were found

The demand for sources of nutraceuticals has led to the rediscovery and diffusion of traditional crops such as chia (Salvia hispanica L.), whose leaves and fruits are rich in W3 fatty acids and anti-oxidants. Chia originates in Central America but it is rapidly expanding to new areas. A field experiment conducted at Atella in Basilicata (Southern Italy) was set up to test the response of chia to N top-dress fertilisation (0 and 20 kg ha -1 ) and to sowing density (D1=125, D2=25, D3=8 and D4=4 plants m -2 ) in a split-plot design with three replications. First results show maximum leaf area index values up to 7.1 and fresh vegetative biomass production at early flowering ranging between 50.87 (D4) and 59.71 (D1) t ha -1 . Yield increased with plant density: a significantly (P<0.01) higher production (398 kg ha -1 ) was reached in D1. N top-dressing had a detrimental effect on yield and corresponded to higher lodging and lower maturation percentage of seeds, though non-significant. Based on our first results it seems worthwhile to continue agronomical trials for chia in herbaceous systems of southern Italy for leaf production based on traditional genotypes, while fruit production might be pursued by adopting high sowing density and the search for longer-day genotypes. IntroductionSalvia hispanica L, known as chia, is a multifunctional plant whose food use may be traced back as far as 2500 B.C. Domesticated in Mesoamerica around 2600 B.C. it has been a staple food in Mexico between 1500 and 900 B.C. (Pozo Pozo, 2010). It is an annual herbaceous species belonging to the Labiatae family, and its fruits were one of the four main food source traditionally used in pre-Colombian times. It has recently been re-discovered (Ayerza and Coates, 2009) due to its high content of nutraceuticals and therefore the potential for a functional food and a feed capable of increasing the nutritional value of milk and meat products (Ayerza and Coates, 2006;Peiretti and Meineri, 2008).

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) is an ancient crop from Central America which has been recently rediscovered as a source of ω-3 and nutraceuticals in seeds. Besides traditional seed consumption, innovative uses of the plant seeds and leaves have been proposed based on the high protein content and the production of mucilage which lends itself to a range of applications. This chapter reviews research on the plant's genetics and breeding, quality, and uses. Agronomic studies which have only recently started worldwide are also presented along with results from case studies in Basilicata.

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Background and aims Myxodiaspores have been shown to enhance soil-seed contact and improve soil stability. We aim to demonstrate the effect of myxodiaspory on the stability of soil aggregates and gain insight on the nature of bonds. Methods Mucilage extracted from chia (Salvia hispanica L.) fruits after hydration was mixed with three soils (sandyloam, loam, clay loam), incubated and tested at different times up to 30 days. We measured aggerate stability by wet sieving and the dynamics of soil CO 2 evolution. SEM imaging and 13 CPMAS spectroscopy of mucilage were performed in order to infer mechanisms of soil stabilization. ResultsThe incorporation of mucilage resulted in a dose-and soil-dependent rise in aggregate stability.The dose of 2% mucilage overcame textural effects on soil aggregate stability by providing a 2.3-fold stability increase in the loam and clay-loam and a 4.9-fold increase in the sandy-loam compared to control. The effect persisted after 30 days in spite of C losses due to soil respiration. Mechanisms of soil bonding analogous to xanthan can be inferred from SEM imaging and 13 C-CPMAS, since the mucilage was identified as a biopolymer containing 93.39% carbohydrates and 22.02% uronic acids. Conclusions We demonstrate that mucilage extruded by hydrated diaspores strongly increases soil aggregate stability. This represents a potentially important ecosystem service provided by myxodiasporous crops during germination. Our findings confirm potential applications of mucilage from myxodiaspores as natural soil stabilizers.