Chia sprouts and microgreens as a new nutraceutical raw materials and their health-promoting impact in modern dietetics

Today, plant sprouts are one of the most important forms of functional foods (FOSHU – Food For Specified Health Use), in nutraceutical diets based on so-called “healthy food”. The health-promoting effects of sprouts are due to their rich chemical composition and high nutritional quality compared to standard crop raw materials. Recently, many scientific studies have pointed to the medicinal and therapeutic effects of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica), but there is still a lack of research on the composition and biological properties of chia sprouts. In addition to chia sprouts, chia microgreens (microleaves) are becoming prominent in the food industry. This paper reviews the literature data on research on chia sprouts and microgreens. In the work, the process of sprouting chia seeds to boost their nutraceutical properties by increasing their content of protein, dietary fiber, vitamins and mineral salts, is revealed. The review underlines the fact that sprouting contributes to the enhancement of antioxidant potential by increasing the production of polyphenolic compounds from the phenolic acid group and flavonoids. What is more, single studies noted in the study indicate the antimicrobial properties of chia sprout extracts against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strains. The paper is the first comprehensive review of the latest scientific information on the comparison of chia: dry seeds, sprouted seeds, sprouts and microgreens.