Physicochemical and Lipid Characterization of Chia Seed Oil for Improving Algerian Bread Quality and Acceptability

In Algeria, edible oils are vital for development through income generation, rural development, and modernization of production systems. Mexican and Brazilian chia seed oils were selected as sources. Their physicochemical and nutritional characterization provides baseline information supporting research on the adaptation, cultivation, and industrial exploitation of chia under Algerian agro-climatic conditions. This study investigates the physicochemical, bioactive, and sensory properties of chia oils from Brazil and Mexico and assesses their impact on the nutritional and sensory quality of chia-enriched bread. The methodology involved analytical techniques, including FTIR, GC-MS, and ¹H NMR, to determine acid value, peroxide value, saponification index, fatty acid composition, and total polyphenol content. Both oils exhibited low acid values and high iodine values, indicating good quality and a high degree of unsaturation. Mexican chia oil contained more α-linolenic acid (ω-3), whereas Brazilian oil showed a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids, contributing to greater oxidative stability. Sensory evaluation showed that bread enriched with 5% Mexican chia seed oil achieved the highest acceptance (7.02/9). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that increasing chia oil concentration, particularly at 5 and 7.5%, was positively associated with sensory and textural attributes, including crust colour, flax-like flavour, porosity, moistness, hardness, chewiness, and bread quality. The findings demonstrate that both Mexican and Brazilian chia seed oils are functional ingredients for bread fortification. While Mexican oil showed a more favourable lipid profile, both oils improved bread quality and consumer acceptability, supporting their potential use in functional foods and food biotechnology.