Résumé
Global warming threatens food security by disrupting agricultural systems, necessitating the exploration of resilient crops and their lipid storage organelles, oil bodies (OBs). OBs are spherical droplets surrounded by a phospholipid and protein-rich membrane which regulates permeability, flocculation, and coalescence, ensuring stability during germination. OBs from non-temperate crops exhibit unique compositions and structures that contribute to their resilience but their composition may be threatened by climate change. For example, Chia cultivation was made possible in France after a long variety selection (Oruro© variety). Chia lipids show high omega-3 content (64.7-66.1% alpha-linolenic acid, ALA), surpassing levels found in Kenya (51-57% ALA) and Uganda (45.3-49.1% ALA). Besides, even in France, cooler, wetter conditions may promote higher PUFA content in Chia seed while drier conditions reduced PUFA to 55.6% ALA. Many non-temperate OBs concentrate valuable fatty acids such as lauric, palmitic, conjugated linolenic acid, oleic acid and extracting them without alteration could help the development of value chains in developing countries. In the example of Chia, they can be extracted through an aqueous integrated process conserving the lipid composition. Besides, the size of chia OBs, measured in vitro (DLS) at each step of the process or estimated in-vivo (Cryo-SEM), averages 3 µm, indicating the conservation of physical integrity for stable emulsion applications. OBs also generally conserve tocopherol and phytosterol of the oilseeds. In Chia seeds, their contents are significant (e.g., 400 ppm gamma-tocopherol, >1000 ppm beta-sitosterol). The stability of OBs also facilitates advanced processing techniques like spray-drying, maintaining OB integrity for extended shelf life, positioning OBs as natural carriers for bioactive lipids, with potential applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. Leveraging OB diversity can enhance access to essential nutrients for vulnerable populations, contributing to sustainable food systems in the face of climate change.