[IMPACT OF SIX COOKING TECHNIQUES ON FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF MARLIN (MAKAIRA NIGRICANS) AND HAKE (MERLUCCIUS PRODUCTUS)].

Introduction: the regular consumption of fish brings benefits to health due to its content of n-3 fatty acids, but cooking enhances or damages the concentration of fatty acids (FA) since they are susceptible to oxidation by temperatures and cooking times.

Objectives: to analyze the effect of six cooking techniques on total lipids (TL) and (FA) content in marlin and hake and select which one helps the best conservation of health beneficial FA.

Methods: fillets were subjected to different cooking techniques: steam (ST), foiled-aluminum-paper (FAP), foiled- banana-leaf (FBL), gas-oven (GO), microwave-oven (MO) and fried-lightly (FL). FA were identified by gas chromatography/FID.

Results And Discussion: Marlin: FL increased the concentration of TL and MO decreased it. Statistically, PUFA, SFA and EPA + DHA increased with FAP, MUFA decreased with FBL and increased in FL. Hake: FL increased concentration in all groups of FA while ST decreased it. SFA values and index of atherogenicity (IA), thrombogenicity (IT), peroxidisability and hipocolesterolemic/ hipercolesterolemic fatty acid ratio (HH) found, suggested that hake is a fish with greater health benefits, regardless of the technique you employ. By its EPA + DHA content, marlin seems to be an excellent choice if cooked FAP. FL technique in both species decreased the IA, IT and significantly increased the HH; however n3/n6 ratio decreased. ST seems to be the least desirable cooking technique for both species.