OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
ACTIVITY 4
Name: Dadiz Ronoa C.
Subject: Biochemistry for Medical Laboratory Science (Lab) Test Based on the Reducing
Date Submitted: October 29, 2021
Score: Property of Sugars
Carbohydrates are most abundant organic compounds found in living organisms and are composed
of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Carbohydrates act as the primary source to provide energy for functioning
of living organisms.
In this activity, we will be classifying carbohydrates based on its reactivity. Based on the reactivity with
Tollen’s, Benedict’s or Fehling’s reagent, carbohydrates are classified as:
Reducing sugars
Carbohydrates that can reduce Tollen’s and Benedict’s reagents are called reducing sugars (sugar with
free aldehyde or ketone group).
Non-reducing sugars
Carbohydrates that cannot reduce Tollen’s and Benedict’s reagents are called non-reducing sugars.
Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar.
Materials Required
Reagents
• Distilled water
• Benedict’s reagent
• Tollen’s reagent
Samples
• Glucose
• Sucrose
• Lactose
• Starch
Apparatus
• Test tube
• Dropper
• Beaker
Water Bath
No part of this material may be distributed and reproduced. This file is for your own
use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
Simulation Procedure
Benedict’s test
• Drag the dropper towards the test tubes to drop Benedict’s reagent into the test tubes A, B, C
and D respectively.
• To place the test tubes in water bath, click on the button ‘Place the test tubes in water bath’.
• Observe the colour changes.
Tollen’s test
• Drag the dropper towards the test tubes to drop Tollen’s reagent into test tubes A, B, C and D
respectively.
• Click on the ‘Next’ button to go to the next step.
• To place the test tubes in water bath, click on the button ‘Place the test tubes in water bath’
• Observe the colour changes.
Refer to this link for the simulation: Test for Reducing Sugars
No part of this material may be distributed and reproduced. This file is for your own
use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
ASSESSMENT TASK:
Record your observation here.
Benedict’s test (20 points)
Carbohydrates Result (After water bath)
1. Glucose Red
2. Lactose Red
3. Sucrose Blue
4. Starch Blue
Attach a screenshot of the carbohydrates with the Benedict’s reagent before and after heating/water bath:
No part of this material may be distributed and reproduced. This file is for your own
use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
Tollen’s test (20 points)
Carbohydrates Result (After water bath)
1.Glucose Metal/Silver
2. Lactose Platinum
3. Sucrose Transparent
4. Starch Gray
Attach a screenshot of the carbohydrates with the Benedict’s reagent before and after heating/water bath:
No part of this material may be distributed and reproduced. This file is for your own
use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
No part of this material may be distributed and reproduced. This file is for your own
use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
Question for Research (10 points each)
1. An unknown carbohydrate gave a red precipitate when tested with Benedict's reagent and quickly gave
a red precipitate when reacted with Barfoed’s reagent. What conclusions can be made about this
carbohydrate?
- The Barfoed test is used to detect the presence of monosaccharides. The Barfoed reagent is a mixture of
ethanoic acid and copper II acetate. It is assumed that glucose, ribose and fructose react with the Barfoed reagent. Tests
indicate that the unspecified carbohydrate is a monosaccharide, a reducing sugar. Benedict's test reacts by forming an
orange-red precipitate with the monosaccharide. The same carbohydrates that reacted in Barfoed's experiment are
expected to react in a similar way. The unknown carbohydrate also reacts to form a rust precipitate, making it a
monosaccharide. However, the lactose still reacts to form a rust precipitate. This is due to the fact that although lactose is
a disaccharide, it is still a short enough chain to form a red precipitate not as rapidly as a monosaccharide. Sucrose and
starch have too great a disaccharide content to react with Benedict's reagent. During the iodine test, all carbohydrates
except starch were copper-red. The starch tube observed is blue, and this is due to the starch iodized complex formed.
Also, the iodine test is used to check for starch in solution, which means the unknown carbohydrate is not a starch.
2. What test could be used to differentiate between glucose and starch? Explain.
- After the water bath of test tubes of glucose .The glucose turns to have a moderate amount of sugar and the starch has
none .
3. What test could be used to differentiate between glucose and fructose? Explain.
- Glucose and fructose can be distinguished by a number of chemical tests such as: Seliwanoff's test- It is a chemical test
that distinguishes between aldose (glucose) and ketose (fructose) sugars.
No part of this material may be distributed and reproduced. This file is for your own
use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
4. Give at least 3 examples of reducing sugars.
- Galactose, Glucose and Fructose
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use only.
OUR LADY OF FATIMA UNIVERSITY
City of Sta. Rosa, Laguna Campus
College of Medical Laboratory Science
5. Make a schematic diagram of the procedure of Barfoed's Test which is also a test for reducing sugars.
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use only.
