Gas chromatographic determination of the fatty-acid content of heat-treated green beans.

A gas chromatographic method that employs flame ionization detection, a DB-Wax capillary column with helium as the carrier gas, and a split-splitless (1:15) injector was used to determine the effects of different heat treatments on the fatty-acid content of whole green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.). A one-step-extraction-methylation method was used to obtain fatty acid methyl esters from raw and steamed, boiled, pressure-cooked, and microwave-cooked green beans. The fatty-acid profile changed slightly, but heat treatment produced an increase in the fatty-acid content.