Benedict's Reagent: A Test for Reducing Sugars

Carbohydrates are divided into two groups based on the complexity of

their structure. Simple carbohydrates can form either a single ring
structure (monosaccharides) or a double ring structure (disaccharides --
formed when a pair of monosaccharides bond). Simple carbohydrates
include familiar sugars such the monosaccharides glucose (the basic fuel
of cells) and fructose (found in fruits). Common disaccharides include
sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (the sugar in milk). 

Complex carbohydrates (polysaccharides) are chains of many bonded

simple carbohydrates, and are often used for energy storage. These
include starch, cellulose, and glycogen.

One test for the presence of many simple carbohydrates is to use

Benedict's reagent. It turns from turquoise to yellow or orange when it
reacts with reducing sugars. These are simple carbohydrates with
unbound aldehyde or ketone groups. In lab, we used Benedict's reagent
to test for one particular reducing sugar: glucose. 
Interpreting Benedict's Reagent Results

Benedict's reagent starts out aqua-blue. As it is heated in the presence of

reducing sugars, it turns yellow to orange. The "hotter" the final color of
the reagent, the higher the concentration of reducing sugar. In general,
blue to blue-green or yellow-green is negative, yellowish to bright yellow
is a moderate positive, and bright orange is a very strong positive. (See
below). 
1: Benedict's
Reagent  2: Benedict's Reagent & 3: Benedict's Reagent & 4: Benedict's Reagent &
& Water  Unknown: Negative rx  Unknown: Positive rx   Glucose Solution 
(Negative (No reducing sugars).  (Some reducing sugars). (Positive control).
control).
 Terminology review: Controls 

Water plus Benedict's reagent is a negative control for the sugar test. It

demonstrates a negative test result (no sugar present). See tube 1 above. 

Glucose plus Benedict's reagent is a positive control for the sugar test. It

demonstrates what a strong positive result should look like. It also proves that our
reagents haven't gone bad (they are capable of producing a positive result). See
tube 4 above. 

The point of controls is twofold. They give you standards to compare against, and
they demonstrate that your reagents are working correctly. 

Class Benedict's Reagent Results

Aside from our controls, we tested three solutions for glucose: starch,
acid-treated starch, and amylase-treated starch. As starch is a
polysaccharide, it is unsurprising that the starch solution tested negative
for simple sugars.
We mixed HCl (an acid) into starch and re-tested for simple sugars. First,
we had to adjust the pH of the solutions back to neutral before adding the
Benedict's reagent. We used a pH indicator and NaOH (a base) for this.
We then added the Benedict's reagent. We got moderately positive
results (orangish color). This is because HCl breaks starch back down
into its component monosaccharides (glucose, in this case).

Amylase is an enzyme that removes glucose molecules from starch. Both

plants and animals use amylase when digesting starch. Unfortunately,
amylase cannot break the beta-bonds which hold the glucose molecules
together in cellulose. (If it could, we'd be able to eat hay). Based on this
information, can you figure out what our results should be if we tested
amylase-treated starch and amylase-treated cellulose solutions for
reducing sugars?