Abstract:The effects of different content of small molecular sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose) on the properties of tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) composite gel were investigated. The rheology properties, water holding capacity and texture of small molecular sugar-TSP gel were studied. The moisture distributions of the composite gels were analyzed by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF NMR). The results showed that sucrose and fructose at 45%-60% (m/m) and glucose at 40%-55%(m/m) could make TSP solution (1%, m/V) form gel. When the contents of sucrose and fructose at 55% (m/m) and glucose at 50%(m/m), the G′, water holding capacity, hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness of sucrose-TSP gel were of 108.39 Pa, 98.20%, 65.55 g, 0.87, 52.55 g, while the G′, water holding capacity, hardness and chewiness of fructose-TSP gel were of 147.36 Pa, 98.57%, 62.29 g, 44.84 g, and the G′, water holding capacity, hardness, cohesiveness of glucose-TSP gel were of 117.46 Pa, 98.56%, 61.86 g, 48.05 g, all of which reached the maximum. At this state, the gels were the most stable and chewable. The results of LF NMR showed that when sucrose and fructose at 55% (m/m) and glucose at 50% (m/m), the semi-bound water content of small molecular sugar-TSP gels was 99.8%-100%. This might be due to the large amount of hydrogen bonds between hydroxy groups of small molecular sugars and water molecules, and the cross-linking between TSP chains increased, which made the gel much stronger. This study can provide theoretical basis for the application of tamarind polysaccharide in food industry.