TOLLEN’S TEST

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

A few drops of freshly prepared Tollen’s reagent was added to each of the 2 ml aqueous
solution of samples in a test tube, after that the solution was heated gently.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

TABLE B. 8 Tollen’s Test
SAMPLES RESULTS

Glucose

(C6H12O6)

Figure B. 8.a. Glucose (C6H12O6)

(+). Upon the addition of Tollen’s reagent and
gentle heating presence of silver color occurs

Arabinose

(C5H10O5)

Figure B. 8.b. Arabinose (C5H10O5)

(+). Upon the addition of Tollen’s reagent and
gentle heating presence of silver color occurs

Fructose

(C6H12O6)

Figure B. 8.c. Fructose (C6H12O6)

(+). Upon the addition of Tollen’s reagent and
gentle heating presence of silver color occurs

Starch

(C27H48O20)

Figure B. 8.d. Starch (C27H48O20)

(-). Upon the addition of Tollen’s reagent and
gentle heating, there was a formation of white
precipitate but absence of silver mirror complex
 Tollen’s test was conducted to distinguish between an aldehyde and a ketone.
Monosaccharides containing the aldehyde group are classified as aldoses, and those
with a ketone group are classified as ketoses. Aldoses are reducing sugars; ketoses are
non-reducing sugars. This is important in understanding the reaction of sugars with
Tollen’s reagent (Chemistry for Biologist, n.d.).

In this test, four samples were subjected to Tollen’s reagent －Glucose (C6H12O6),
Arabinose (C5H10O5), Fructose (C6H12O6), and Starch (C27H48O20). The three
monosaccharide samples yielded a positive results. The positive result for this test was
the formation of a silver mirror. Only one sample gave a negative result, which is the
starch (C27H48O20). The monosaccharide samples reacts positively in this test due to the
fact that all monosaccharides are reducing sugars. It was also said earlier that Tollen’s
reagent only oxidizes those that contain aldehydes, but for sugars like fructose
(C6H12O6) which belong to sugars containing ketones, ketoses must first tautomerize to
aldoses before they can act as reducing sugars (Pratt & Cornely). According to Pearce
(2017), Tollens’ reagent and Benedict’s reagent react with a free aldehyde group.
Fructose (C6H12O6) is a ketose sugar, and does not itself have a free aldehydic group,
but under the alkaline conditions of the reaction it is partially converted to a mixture of
glucose (C6H12O6) and mannose (C6H12O6) which do react with the reagents.

Figure X. Reduction of Fructose

Only starch (C27H48O20) yielded a negative result because starch (C27H48O20),

whether it's in the form of amylose (C6H10O5) or amylopectin (C30H52O26), is not a reducing
sugar. Being a non-reducing sugar, it means that starch does not contain aldehydes,
which is the one that is reduced by the reagent. The first ring cannot open up because
there's no hydrogen on the circled oxygen to allow for ring opening. Similarly the next
ring, and the following rings cannot open up. So polysaccharides, such as starch
(C27H48O20), are not reducing sugars. They need to be hydrolyzed and broken down into
smaller units, such as glucose (C6H12O6) or perhaps maltose (C6H12O6), before the rings
can open up (Clackamas.edu, n.d.). Thus, the treatment of starch with Tollens’ reagent
in a glass test tube does not result in a silver mirror.

Chemistry for biologists (n.d.) stated that, sugars may be classified

as reducing or non-reducing based on their reactivity
with Tollens', Benedict's or Fehling's reagents. If a sugar is oxidized by these reagents it
is called reducing, since the oxidant (Ag+ ) is reduced in the reaction, as evidenced by
formation of a silver mirror. Tollens’ test, also known as silver-mirror test, is a qualitative
laboratory test, generally used to distinguish between an aldehyde and a ketone, and for
carbohydrates it is a specific determines reducing sugar from non-reducing sugars.  

Figure X. Oxidation by Tollen’s reagent.

References:

Biology Dictionary. (2019). Monosaccharide. Retrieved from

https://biologydictionary.net/monosaccharide/

Chemistry for biologists. (n.d.). Carbohydrates. Retrieved from

https://www.rsc.org/Education/Teachers/Resources/cfb/carbohydrates.htm
Chemistry Libre Texts. (2019). Tollen’s test. Retrieved from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules
 _(Organic_Chemistry)/Aldehydes_and_Ketones/Reactivity_of_Aldehydes_and_Ket
ones/Tollens%E2%80%99_Test

Clackamas edu.(n.d.). Disaccharides and Polysaccharides. Retrieved from

http://dl.clackamas.edu/ch106-07/disaccha.htm

Exhibition chemistry.(n.d.). The silver mirror test. Retrieved from

https://edu.rsc.org/exhibition-chemistry/the-silver-mirror-test/2020077.article
Pearce, F. (2017). Why does fructose reduce tollen’s reagent?
https://www.chemistryonline.com/Why-does-Fructose-reduce-Tollens-reagent-
although-it-does-not-have-an-aldehydic-group
 Pratt, C.W. & Cornely, K. (2013). Essential Biochemistry (Third ed.). Wiley.
p. 626. ISBN 978-1118083505.

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ISESEND YUNG SS NG REFERENCES KO DITO. THANKYOU.