Investigation of the effect of chia seeds on the rheological properties of aqueous solutions

The study of the viscosity of aqueous solutions with chia seeds is an urgent task, since these seeds have unique functional and technological properties. In particular, they are capable of forming viscous gels, which makes them promising stabilizers and thickeners in the food industry. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in using natural hydrocolloids as an alternative to synthetic additives, and chia seeds have attracted the attention of scientists due to their high content of dietary fiber and polysaccharides. In this paper, the rheological properties of aqueous solutions with chia seeds, which have a high hydration capacity and can form gel-like structures, are investigated. The experiment was aimed at studying the effect of temperature and storage duration on the viscosity of solutions prepared from crushed and non-crushed seeds. In the course of the study, viscosity measurements were carried out using a vibrating viscometer at various temperatures. It was found that solutions with a low concentration of seeds show a decrease in viscosity with increasing temperature, while solutions with a high concentration can exhibit both a decrease and an increase in viscosity, depending on the degree of grinding and the holding time. Repeated measurements two weeks later showed a tendency to stabilize viscosity in solutions with non-crushed seeds, while solutions with crushed seeds showed greater variability in viscosity characteristics. Long-term storage of chia seed solutions affects their rheological properties, which is important to consider when developing products where gelling properties play a key role. The results obtained can be useful for the development of food products containing chia seeds as natural thickeners and stabilizers.