CARBO-

HYDRATES
POST LAB

your name
 Carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates are polyhydroxy aldehydes and
ketones or substances that hydrolyze to yield
polyhydroxy aldehydes and ketones. 
Aldehydes (–CHO) and ketones ( = CO)
constitute the major groups in carbohydrates.

your name
your name
Structure of Gelatin

your name
 Molisch’s Test
• A general test for carbohydrates larger than
tetroses
• The test is on the basis that pentoses and
hexoses are dehydrated by concentrated
sulfuric acid to form furfural or
hydroxymethylfurfural
– alpha naphthol in 95% ethanol

your name
 Molisch’s Test
Reactions:

your name
 Molisch’s Test
 Result: A deep violet coloration is
produced at the junction of two
layers

your name
 Benedict’s Test
• A specific test for reducing sugars or presence
of free or potential aldehyde or keto group
• All monosaccharides are reducing sugars as
they all have a free reactive carbonyl group
– A solution of sodium citrate and sodium carbonate
mixed with a solution of copper sulfate. The solution
is heated in a boiling water bath for three minutes

your name
 Benedict’s Test
Reaction:
Reducing sugars are oxidized by the
copper ion in solution to form a carboxylic
acid and a reddish precipitate of copper (I)
oxide.

your name
 Benedict’s Test
 Result:
 Red-colored precipitate of cuprous oxide
 Depending on the concentration of sugars,
yellow to green color is developed

your name
 Barfoed’s Test
• Used to detect the presence of
monosaccharide (reducing) sugars in a
solution (2-3min)
• Reducing disaccharides undergo the same
reaction but do so at a slower rate (10 min)
– A solution of cupric acetate and acetic acid
boiled in a water bath

your name
 Barfoed’s Test
Reactions:
 Reducing monosaccharides are oxidized
by the copper ion (II) in solution to form a
carboxylic acid and a reddish precipitate of
copper (I) oxide

your name
 Barfoed’s Test
 Result:
 A deep blue colour is formed with a red
precipitate settling down at the bottom or
sides of the test tube

your name
 Seliwanoff’s Test
• A specific test for ketones
• When conc. HCl is added ketoses undergo
dehydration to yield furfural derivatives
more rapidly than aldoses
– A solution of resorcinol and conc. HCl

your name
 Seliwanoff’s Test
Reactions:
 The test reagent dehydrates ketohexoses
to form 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. 5-
hydroxymethylfurfural further reacts with
resorcinol present in the test reagent to
produce a red product within two minutes

your name
 Seliwanoff’s Test
 Result:
 A cherry red colored precipitate forms a
condensate product
Sucrose could give a positive test –gives a
faint red colour (slowly forming)

your name
 Bial’s Test
• A test used to distinguish between pentoses
and hexoses
• Orcinol and furfural condense in the
presence of ferric ion to form a coloured
product
– contains a solution of orcinol, HCl and ferric
chloride
– heated gently in a bunsen burner or hot
water bath. If the colour is not obvious, more
water can be added
your name
 Bial’s Test
Reactions:
 The test reagent dehydrates pentoses to
form furfural. Furfural further reacts with
orcinol and the iron ion present in the test
reagent to produce a bluish product

your name
 Bial’s Test
 Result:
 A blue-green product indicates the presence
of pentoses
 A muddy brown-gray product indicates the
presence of hexoses

your name
 Fermentation Test
 Result:
 A positive test with glucose and sucrose
Negative with galactose and lactose

your name
 Iodine Test
 Result:
 A blue-black colour indicates a positive test
in Starch
 A reddish color indicates a positive test in
Glycogen

your name
 Osazone Test
Reactions:
 Ketoses and aldoses react with
phenylhydrazine to produce a
phenylhydrazone which further reacts with
another two molecules of phenylhydrazine
to yield osazone.

your name
 Osazone Test
Result:
 Needle-shaped yellow osazone crystals
are produced -glucose, fructose and
mannose, whereas
 lactosazone produces mushroom shaped
crystals.
 Crystals of different shapes will be shown
by different osazones.
Flower-shaped crystals are produced by
maltose
your name
 Iodine test
• Used to test for the presence of
starch.
• Starch turns into an intense "blue-
black" colour upon addition of aqueous
solutions of the triiodide anion, due to
the formation of an intermolecular
charge-transfer complex.
• This interaction between starch and
triiodide is also the basis for iodometry.
your name
your name
Thank you for attention

your name