Contenido de ácidos grasos en cuatro poblaciones de pejibaye, Bactris gasipaes (Palmae) / Fatty acids contained in 4 pejibaye palm species, Bactris gasipaes (Palmae)

ABSTRACT

Cooked and uncooked samples from four pejibaye palm races were analyzed to determine the moisture content, ether extract and the content of six fatty acids (C160 to C183). There was an increase in moisture and a decrease in ether extract (p < 0.05) in the cooked samples in comparison with the uncooked ones. No significant differences were found in fatty acid content between cooked and uncooked samples, but there were differences (p < 0.05) among races concerning the content of four fatty acids. Pejibaye fat is mainly mono-unsaturated (45.6 per cent) and has a low poly-unsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (0.5). The fatty acid profile of uncooked pejibaye samples was oleic acid, 32.6 to 47.8 per cent; palmitic acid, 30.5 to 40.3 per cent; linoleic acid, 11.2 to 21.1 per cent; palmitoleic acid, 5.7 to 7.1 per cent; linoleic acid, 1.5 to 5.5 per cent; and stearic acid, 1.7 to 2.4 per cent