The effect of added sugars on the retrogradation of wheat starch gels by X-ray diffraction

The effect of added sugars on the retrogradation of wheat starch gels has been investigated by X-ray diffraction methods. Addition of ribose, sucrose or glucose to wheat starch gels at the ratio of starch: sugar: water of 1:1:1 was found to reduce the rate of amylopectin recrystallization in these gels during storage. The effectiveness of these sugars in suppressing retrogradation followed the order ribose > sucrose > glucose. More detailed studies on the addition of ribose to wheat starch gels have shown that the rate of amylopectin recrystallization decreases progressively with increasing ribose content. Preliminary studies using oligosaccharides have suggested that the reduction in the rate of crystallization increases with increasing molecular weight.