RESUMOO presente trabalho teve como objetivo determinar as características físicas e físico--químicas de palitos de inhame, In natura e após desidratação osmótica. O experimento foi conduzido no Laboratório de Engenharia de Alimentos pertencente à UFCG--CG. Foram utilizados inhame da variedade Da Costa, onde foram higienizados, processados e cortados em formatos de palito, em seguida submetidos à desidratação osmótica, em solução salina de NaCl. As amostras foram avaliadas quanto aos parâmetros: Teor de água; atividade de água; pH; acidez; amido; lipídeos; teor de sódio e as características de cor (L; a; b). Como conclusões têm: O teor de amido foi influenciado pelos tratamentos osmóticos, onde o uso das soluções com 5 e 10% de sal, fizeram com que os palitos de inhame apresentassem os maiores valores (32,98) observados; Os teores de água dos palitos de inhame diminuem à medida que aumentam as concentrações das soluções osmóticas; O pH e teor de lipídeos dos palitos de inhame, não sofreram influência em nenhuma condição que foram submetidos, mantiveram--se estáveis; O inhame apresenta um grande potencial para a sua agro--industrialização, seja como matéria prima para farinhas, como para novos produtos como inhame chips. PALAVRAS--CHAVE:desidratação osmótica, caracterização, processamento, Dioscorea sp. PHYSICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL YAM STICKS OF SUBMITTED TO OSMOTIC DEHYDRATION IN SALINE ABSTRACTThis study aimed to determine the physical and physicochemical characteristics of yam sticks, in natura and after osmotic dehydration. The experiment was conducted at the Food Engineering Laboratory belonging to UFCG--CG. yams were used variety Coast, where they were cleaned, processed and cut into matchstick shapes then submitted to osmotic dehydration, in saline solution of NaCl. The samples were evaluated for the parameters: water content; water activity; pH; acidity; starch; lipids; sodium content and color characteristics (L, a, b). As conclusions are: The starch content was influenced by osmotic treatments where the use of solutions with 5 and 10% of salt, made the yam sticks presented the highest values (32.98) observed; The water content of yam sticks decrease as increase the concentrations of osmotic solutions; The pH and lipid content of yam sticks, were not affected in any conditions that were submitted, remained stable; The yam has great potential for agricultural and its manufacturing or as a raw material for flour, as for new products such as yam chips.

Yam is a food of excellent nutritional quality, energy and affordable price, considered an important item in the diet of Brazilians, with desirable processing characteristics by the agribusiness. The work aimed to perform an osmotic dehydration kinetics of inhalation sticks and to verify the absorption of residues and the loss of water from the pieces. The yam was processed in the form of twists and subsequently subjected to dehydration in NaCl solutions, for a period of 24 hours, to determine weight loss and solids gain during dehydration. The samples were analyzed for water content and sodium content, after the end of osmotic dehydration. The yam sticks were influenced by the concentration of the osmotic solution in which they were used, reduced water content and increased sodium content, due to the increased use of sodium chloride.