Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
samples.
Objective: - Describe and carry out the Benedict’s test that indicates the presence of
- Describe and carry out the Iodine Test that indicates the presence of starch
specifically.
- Describe and carry out the hydrolysis process on the non-reducing disaccharide
and polysaccharide.
- Describe and carry out the Biuret test that indicates the presence of proteins.
- Describe and carry out the paper test that indicates the presence of lipids.
Introduction:
Carbohydrates
ketose which has ketone group as functional group. All monosaccharides are reducing
The Benedict’s reagent is a solution that contains copper (II) sulphate and
alkaline solution, and the copper (II) ions are reduced by the aldehyde or ketone group
to form copper (I) oxide precipitate. Besides, the yellow, green, and orange color of
between glucose and fructose. Lactose is the disaccharide formed from the
Lactose is reducing sugar due to the presence of aldehyde or ketone group in one
of the monomers that can gives the positive result on the Benedict’s test. Sucrose is
non-reducing sugar, due to the absence of the aldehyde or ketone group after the
formation of the glycosidic linkage. Thus, sucrose gives negative result on the
Benedict’s test.
Starch is a polysaccharide of glucose and thus cannot give positive result on the
Benedict’s test, since all polysaccharides do not have any reducing ability. However,
starch gives positive result on the Iodine test. Starch forms the dark blue color of
solution with iodine solution which is the result from the complex ion formed
reaction. In the laboratory, these compound sugars can be hydrolyzed in the test tube
Proteins
Proteins consist of one or more polypeptides coiled or folded into specific three
dimensional conformations. The functional group of amino acids are the carboxyl
group (-COOH) and the amino group (-NH2). The carboxyl group and amino group of
the adjacent amino acids can be linked together to form a peptide linkage through
dehydration reaction.
The Biuret reagent is consisting of mixture of the copper (II) sulphate and an
alkaline solution, used to detect the presence of peptide linkages. A solution that
Lipids
The lipid is a group of macromolecules that are insoluble in water. The major
The fats or triacylglycerols are made up of glycerol (an alcohol) and fatty acids
The lipids are greasy and would turn the area of dry lipids on a brown paper into
semi-transparent.
- Benedict’s reagent
- Distilled water
- 1% solution of glucose
- 1% solution of fructose
- 1% solution of lactose
- 1% solution of sucrose
- 1% solution of starch
- Apple juice
- Soft drink
- Test tubes
Methods:
1. 6 test tubes were prepared.
3. 1ml of 1% solution of glucose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, and starch were placed
4. 5ml of Benedict’s solution was added into each of the test tubes.
5. The test tubes were then placed in a boiling water bath prepared in the laboratory
6. The test tubes were taken out from the boiling water bath.
8. The test was repeated with different kinds of solution of food samples (apple
juice, potato, soft drink, onion, instant noodles, and Soya bean milk).
- Iodine reagent
- Distilled water
- 1% solution of starch
- Apple juice
- Soft drink
- Test tubes
Methods:
2. About 1ml of 1% solution of starch was placed into another test tube.
3. A few drops of iodine reagent were added into the two test tubes.
5. The iodine test was repeated with different solution of apple juice, potatoes, soft
- Benedict’s reagent
- Iodine reagent
- 1% solution of starch
- 1% solution of sucrose
- Test tubes
- Pipettes
- Beaker
Methods:
1. Eight test tubes were labeled from 1 to 8.
2. These test tubes were lined up in accordance to their numbers in a test tube rack.
3. Two large test tubes were labeled with sucrose and starch respectively.
4. 6ml of 1% solution of starch was pipette into the large test tube labeled starch.
5. 3ml of 2N of hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution was pipette into the large test tube
6. 5ml of 1% solution of sucrose was pipette into the large test tube labeled sucrose.
7. 1ml of 2N of hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution was pipette into the large test tube
8. Each of the large test tubes was swirled gently so that the contents were mixed.
9. 1ml of solution from the large test tube labeled sucrose was drawn and put into
test tube 1.
10. 1ml of solution from the large test tube labeled starch was drawn and put into test
tube 3.
11. An additional 1ml of solution from the large test tube labeled starch was drawn
12. The large test tubes were placed in the boiling water bath prepared in the
laboratory.
13. After 2 to 3 minutes, the large test tube labeled sucrose was taken out from the
boiling water bath; 1ml of solution from the large test tube was drawn and put into
test tube 2.
14. After 5 minutes, 1ml of solution from the large test tube was drawn and put into
test tube 5.
15. Another 1ml of solution from the large test tube (labeled starch) was drawn and
16. After another 10 minutes, solution from the large test tube (labeled starch) was
drawn and put into test tube 7 and 8 with 1ml for each test tube.
17. Benedict’s reagent was added into the test tube 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 with 5 ml for each
test tube.
18. These test tubes were placed in the boiling water bath for 5 minutes.
19. 3 drops of iodine reagent were added into test tube 4, 6, and 8.
20. The test tube in the boiling water bath were removed and placed in test tube rack
21. The colors of the solutions and formation of precipitate in the test tubes were
observed.
- Distilled water
- 1% of egg albumin
- Apple juice
- Soft drink
- Test tubes
Methods:
1. 3ml of distilled water was placed into a test tube.
3. Concentrated potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution was added into both of the test
5. 1ml of 0.5% of copper (II) sulphate (CuSO4) solution was added into the mixtures
7. The colors of the solutions in the test tubes were observed after 2 minutes.
8. The Biuret test was repeated with different solutions of apple juice, potatoes, soft
- Brown paper
- Distilled water
- Vegetable oil
- Apple juice
- Soft drink
- Glass rod
Methods:
1. A small square of brown paper was divided into 8 regions.
2. Each region were labeled with “water”, “oil”, “apple juice”, “potatoes”, “soft
3. A tiny drop of water, vegetable oil, apple juice, potatoes (solution), soft drink,
onions (solution), instant noodles (solution), and Soya Bean milk was put onto the
4. These tiny drops on brown paper were rubbed gently with glass rod.
5. The brown paper was left so that the spots were allowed to dry.
Results:
(I) Chemical Tests on Carbohydrates and Food Samples
Food Samples
Samples Observations:
Distilled water Formation of blue color solution
Glucose Formation of brown-yellow color solution and precipitate
Fructose Formation of brick-red color solution and precipitate
Sucrose Formation of blue color solution
Lactose Formation of dark-green color solution and precipitate
Starch Formation of blue color solution
Apple juice Formation of brick-red color solution and precipitate
Potatoes Formation of brown-yellow color solution and precipitate
Soft drink Formation of brick-red color solution and precipitate
Onions Formation of brown-yellow color solution and precipitate
Instant noodles Formation of green color solution and precipitate
Soya Bean milk Formation of green color solution and precipitate
Samples Observation:
Distilled water The water became light yellow color
Starch Formation of dark blue color solution
Apple juice Formation of light yellow color solution
Potatoes Formation of dark blue color solution
Soft drink Formation of light orange-yellow color solution
Onions Formation of light orange-yellow color solution
Instant noodles Formation of dark blue color solution
Soya Bean milk Formation of yellow-brown color solution
Table 3: Benedict’s Test and Iodine Test on the Hydrolysis of Sucrose and Starch
Observations:
Samples: Sucrose Starch
Test tube 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
numbers
Time(minute) 0 2-3 0 0 5 5 15 15
Benedict’s test LB BR LB - LB - BR -
Iodine test - - - DB - LY - LY
Samples Observation
Distilled water The water became light blue color
Egg albumin Formation of violet color solution
Apple juice Formation of light orange color solution
Potatoes Formation of dark violet color solution
Soft drink Formation of light blue color solution
Onions Formation of light green color solution
Instant noodles Formation of light blue color solution
Soya Bean milk Formation of violet color solution
(III) Lipids
Samples Observations
Distilled water No transparency occur on the region
Vegetable oil The region became semitransparent
Apple juice No transparency occur on the region
Potatoes No transparency occur on the region
Soft drink No transparency occur on the region
Onions Semi transparency was only observed on the side of
the spot
Instant noodles No transparency occur on the region
Soya Bean milk No transparency occur on the region
Discussion:
Glucose, fructose, and lactose are all reducing sugars that have carbonyl group,
an alkaline solution (usually KOH), the copper (II) ions in the Benedict’s reagent are
reduced by the aldehyde group to form copper (I) oxide, a colored precipitate;
whereas the aldehyde group itself is oxidized to form a carboxyl group. Therefore,
Fructose is the structural isomer of glucose which contains free ketone group
reducing agent, which can reduce the copper (II) ions in the Benedict’s reagent into
Lactose is also a reducing sugar. The formation of lactose involves the reaction
of the aldehyde group of galactose with the hydroxyl group of the glucose. Therefore,
the disaccharide lactose has one free aldehyde group on the glucose subunit. Thus,
dehydration reaction between the aldehyde group of glucose and the ketone group of
fructose. Therefore, the sucrose has neither free aldehyde group nor ketone group in
both of its subunits. Thus, sucrose shows negative result on the Benedict’s test.
Starch consists of glucose subunits that joint side by side where their aldehyde
group and hydroxyl group are used to form glycosidic bonds to from a long chain of
starch molecule. Since there are no or little free aldehyde and ketone group in starch
Any food samples that show positive results on the Benedict’s test (formation of
brick-red, green, yellow, or orange precipitate) indicate that the food contains
reducing sugars.
Starch gives positive result on the Iodine test. Starch forms the dark blue color of
solution with iodine solution due to the complex formed between the amylose helix
Any food samples that show the positive result when added with iodine reagent
When the sucrose and starch are heated with HCl solution, the high temperature
and low pH conditions can catalyze the hydrolysis of sucrose and starch into their
monomers without the presence of the specific enzymes. These conditions are
required to break the glycosidic bonds formed between the monomers so that the free
aldehyde and ketone group are available as reducing agents. Therefore, the
hydrolyzed sucrose and starch can gives positive results on the Benedict’s test. The
hydrolyzed starch is no longer can gives the positive result on the iodine test since the
The rate of hydrolysis of sucrose is higher than starch. Each sucrose molecule
consists of only one glycosidic bond whereas the each starch molecule consists of
multiple of glycosidic bonds. More heat and the amount of HCl solution are required
to hydrolyze the starch so that the rate of hydrolysis is equal to that of sucrose.
Therefore, under the same amount of HCl solution and temperature, the hydrolysis of
starch is lower than that of the sucrose since more amount of glycosidic bonds have to
be hydrolyzed.
Egg albumin contains huge amount of proteins that functions as storage proteins
that supply the embryo with amino acids. Therefore, egg albumin gives the positive
result on the Biuret test (violet coloration of solution). The Biuret test only indicates
the presence of polypeptides that consist of more than one peptide bonds to gives the
Any other food samples that give the positive result on the Biuret test also
contain proteins.
The vegetable oil is the plant oil which is greasy and can turns the brown paper into
semi-transparent. This is not an accurate and specific test as it’s only a physical test to
indicate the presence of lipids. Any other food samples that show the same semi-
transparent result also can be concluded to contain lipids. However, other organic
molecules such as petroleum can also give the same results. A further chemical test is
needed to be carried out to indicate the presence of lipids more accurately and
specifically.
Conclusion:
3. Sucrose and starch solution shows negative result on the Benedict’s test.
4. Sucrose and starch are not reducing.
8. Apple juice, soft drink, potato, onion, instant noodles, and Soya bean milk are all
11. Apple juice, soft drink, onion, and Soya bean milk does not contain starch.
13. Proteins with multiple of peptide bonding shows positive result on Biuret test.
15. Apple juice, soft drink, onion, and instant noodles do not contain proteins.
16. Vegetable oil and onion shows positive results on paper test.
18. Apple juice, potato, soft drink, instant noodles, and Soya bean milk does not
contain lipids.
References:
Pearson, 2005
Gerald Karp, Cell and Molecular Biology: Concept and Experiments. John Wiley &
Sons, 2004