Comparison of the effect of sugars on the viscoelastic properties of sweet potato starch pastes

Viscoelastic properties of sweet potato starch (SPS) pastes (5% w/w) were studied in the presence of various sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose, and xylose) at different concentrations (0, 10 and 20%) by small‐deformation oscillatory measurements. Dynamic frequency sweeps at 20 °C indicated that all SPS–sugar mixtures were more elastic than viscous with storage moduli (G′) higher than loss moduli (G′′) at all values of frequency with a frequency dependency. Dynamic moduli (G′ and G′′) values increased with the increase in sugar concentration from 10 to 20%. Changes in the dynamic moduli were more pronounced with xylose in comparison to the control (no sugar) and other sugars. G′ values as a function of ageing time (10 h) at 4 °C continuously increased with time during ageing without a plateau region. In general, G′ values of SPS–sugar mixtures during ageing decreased in the following order: pentose (xylose) > hexose (glucose and fructose) > control > disaccharide (sucrose), indicating that the xylose had the greatest ability in retarding retrogradation of SPS.