Fatty acid composition of traditional fermented and unfermented Turkish corn bread with the emphasis on trans fatty acids

Dietary fat continues to be a major research priority because of its association with heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases. On the other hand emerging data suggest that trans fatty acids may raise blood levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol to much the same extent as saturated fatty acids. In this research cis and trans fatty acid composition of unfermented and fermented corn bread as well as flour used in the recipe, and dough samples were determined. Unfermented bread samples were made of corn flour, and fermented breads were made of corn flour-wheat flour mix (1/1) by the traditional straight dough method. Samples, including flour, dough and bread, were analysed by capillary gas-liquid chromatography for their fatty acid compositions. According to the results obtained, unfermented and fermented bread dough have the same fatty acid composition as the flour used in the recipe. Dough fermentation did not effect the fatty acid composition of corn bread. However, fatty acid composition changed slightly in the baked bread. The levels of palmitic, stearic and oleic acid increased, and those of linoleic, linolenic, arachidic and eicosenoic acids decreased, compared to flour and dough. Trans linolenic acid was also detected in both unfermented and fermented corn bread at a level of 0.1%. Slight changes in the fatty acid composition and formation of trans linolenic acid were a result of baking temperature.