Name: Martyn Pereira

Date: 14/02/2022

Lab #: 2

Title: Reducing sugars

Aim: To test food samples for the presence of reducing sugars

Background information:

Reducing sugars behave like reducing agents, where they possess the ability to donate

electrons to other molecules, inducing oxidation, usually as either an aldehyde group, where

the double bonded oxygen is found at a terminal carbon or the ketone group, where it is not

found at any terminal carbon. The reagent utilized in this experiment is Benedict’s solution,

which contains Cu2+ ions and produces a colour change that is observed to either be brick red

or orange red, when reducing sugars are present.

Apparatus:

1. 6 test tubes

2. 1 test tube rack

3. 2 glass rods

4. 1 mortar and pestle

5. 2 pipettes

6. 2 test tube holders

7. 1 water bath

8. 1 petri dish

9. 1 measuring cylinder

10. 1 wash bottle

11. 1 stopwatch

Materials:

1. Onion

2. Glucose

3. Sucrose

Reagents:

1. Benedict’s solution
Diagram:
Method:

1. A small amount of glucose, sucrose and onion were crushed and placed into different

test tubes to a depth of 2cm.

2. Distilled water was added to the test tubes containing the food samples, stirred with a

glass rod and left to stand for 3 minutes.

3. 2ml of the liquid part of each were poured into separate test tubes.

4. 2ml of Benedict’s solution was added to the test tubes drop wise and gently shook to

mix the solution together.

5. The test tubes were placed into a hot water bath and left to stand for 5 – 10 minutes so

the mixture can be thoroughly heated.

6. The test tubes were removed and placed into the test tube rack to allow the contents to

settle.

7. All colour changes were recorded.

Discussion: Benedict’s solution consists of Cu2+ ions. When a substance is boiled in

Benedict’s solution, it is converted to its linear structure, exposing the double bonded oxygen

within its structure. This acts as a reducing agent, losing an electron in the process, to become

oxidized, while also reducing the Cu2+ ions to Cu+ ions, due to the gain of an electron. In

doing so, the blue colour of the Benedict’s solution changes from blue to brick red or

sometimes orange red, indicating a positive result for the presence of reducing sugars.

Limitations:

 Human reaction time, as stopwatch may have been subjected to an extension in time

span.

Source of error:

 The sucrose was contaminated which lead to an inaccuracy in the result.

Precautions:

 Measure the Benedict’s solution and liquid part of each sample at eye level.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that the glucose, sucrose and onion contained Reducing

sugars, since they all produced an orange red colour.

References:

 Biology Online. (2021, September 6). Reducing sugar - Definition and Examples -

Biology Online Dictionary. Biology Articles, Tutorials & Dictionary Online.

https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/reducing-sugar

 Aryal, S. (2019, August 15). Benedict’s Test- Principle, Composition, Preparation,

Procedure and Result Interpretation. Microbiology Info.Com

https://microbiologyinfo.com/benedicts-test-principle-composition-preparation-

procedure-and-result-interpretation/#:%7E:text=As%20the%20concentration%20of

%20reducing%20sugar%20increases%2C%20the,conditions%20which%20are

%20required%20for%20the%20redox%20reaction.

 A. (2021, March 22). General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Guidelines

BYJU’S. BYJUS. https://byjus.com/chemistry/benedicts-test/