FATTY ACID PROFILE IN GRAINS OF THREE CULTIVARS OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) PROCESSED WITH THREE COOKING TECHNIQUES

Pearled grains of three crops of Quinoa: ''Pasankalla'', ''Negra Collana'' and ''Salcedo INIA'' were subjected to three transformation processes: wet cooking (WC), expanded blast (EB) and extrusion cooking (EC). The fatty acids content in processed products and non-processed pearled grains were obtained with the gas method of chromatography. In raw pearled grains, the percentage of saturated fatty acids was 12.93% on average. The percentages of essential fatty acids in the three crops were within expected ranges, with few exceptions. The processing did not cause the same effects in essential fatty acids content in the three crops. With ''Salcedo INIA'' variety, EB and EC processes favor oleic acid content; while unfavorable to the content of linoleic and linolenic acid. Arachidonic acid content was substantially unfavored by EB process. In the Negra Collana crop, oleic acid content was disadvantaged, while the content of linoleic and linolenic acids were favored and arachidonic acid was substantially unfavored by the EB process. In the Pasankalla crop, the contents of oleic, linoleic and arachidonic acid were favored, while the content of linoleic acid was disadvantaged.