Pyrolysis products of babassu (Orbignya martiana), piqui (Caryocar coriaceum), and palm oils (Elaeis guineensis) were analyzed by GC/MS using library search programs. The chief products of pyrolysis were straight-chain alkanes and 1-alkenes. Small amounts of cyclic hydrocarbons were detected in triglycerides constituted by oleic acid as the major moiety. Pyrolysis of oleic acid was also studied. A pathway for the cracking reactions involved with the decomposition of the saturated fatty acids is proposed; The effects of neutral salts on the gelation of soy protein isolate and the 7s and 11s protein fractions were studied. The relative effects of salts on the viscosities of progel and gel followed the lyotropic series for anions, i.e., ,503- < C1- < Br- < SCN-. NaSCN, which is a protein structure destabilizer, profoundly increased the melting temperature as well as viscosity of the gel, whereas NaCl, which is a protein structure stabilizer, decreased the gel viscosity but increased the melting temperature. However, the AHo of gelation was unaffected by the type of the salts used and exhibited a value of about 1 kcal/mol. On the basis of the results, we invoke that the major forces involved in the gelation of soy protein is hydrogen bonding and van der Waals interactions; the contribution of hydrophobic and electrostatic interaction is negligible