Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities of Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) Seeds

The genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) has been traditionally used for the treatment of various illnesses since ancient times. Salvia hispanica L., commonly known as Chia, is an annual herbaceous plant which was one of the most significant crops for pre-Columbian civilizations (Aztec and Maya) in America. Nutritional potential and beneficial effects of Chia seeds on human health have been previously reported. Therefore, this study aims to investigate anti(myco)bacterial, antifungal, and antiproliferative activities of Chia seeds. Ethanol extract of Chia seeds were tested against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25925), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25923), Acinetobacter baumannii (ATCC 02026), Aeromonas hydrophila (ATCC 95080), Candida albicans (ATCC 14053), Candida tropicalis (ATCC 1369), and Candida glabrata (ATCC 15126) using broth microdilution method. Antimycobacterial activity was performed against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv using resazurin microtiter plate method. Ampicillin, Ethambutol, Isoniazid, and Fluconazole were chosen as reference drugs. Antiproliferative effect of the various concentrations (200, 100, 50, and 25 μg/mL) of ethanol extract was tested against A549 human lung cancer cell lines using MTT method. Ethanol extract was found to be more effective against A. baumannii (MIC: 62.5 µg/mL) than reference drug Ampicillin (MIC: 125 µg/mL). There was a correlation between increased doses and antiproliferative activity of extract against A549 human lung cancer cell lines (p <0.05).