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Food Tests

Biochemical tests identify important chemical compounds in substances. Small amounts of the substance are shaken in water or ground up to release cell contents. Tests identify reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, starch, lipids, and proteins. Benedict's test uses copper sulfate to detect reducing sugars through a color change. Non-reducing sugars require hydrolysis before testing. Iodine detects starch through a blue-black color. Lipids are dissolved in ethanol then precipitated in water to form an emulsion. Biuret test uses a copper solution to detect proteins through a color change.

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50 views7 pages

Food Tests

Biochemical tests identify important chemical compounds in substances. Small amounts of the substance are shaken in water or ground up to release cell contents. Tests identify reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, starch, lipids, and proteins. Benedict's test uses copper sulfate to detect reducing sugars through a color change. Non-reducing sugars require hydrolysis before testing. Iodine detects starch through a blue-black color. Lipids are dissolved in ethanol then precipitated in water to form an emulsion. Biuret test uses a copper solution to detect proteins through a color change.

Uploaded by

borntolearn
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Biochemical

Biochemical Tests
Tests
By Cheryl Kent
Biochemical Tests
Biochemical tests identify the main biologically
important chemical compounds.
For each test take a small amount of the
substance to test, shake it in water in a test
tube.(The substance may need grinding with a
pestle and mortar, to break up the cells and
release the cell contents.)
Many of these compounds are insoluble, but the
tests work just as well in a fine suspension.
Benedict’s Test For Reducing
Sugars
All monosaccharide’s and most disaccharide's will reduce
copper (II) sulphate, producing a precipitate of copper
(I) oxide on heating, so they are called reducing sugars.
Benedict’s reagent is an aqueous solution of copper (II)
sulphate, sodium carbonate and sodium citrate.
 Grind up sample

 To approx. 2cm3 of test solution add equal quantity of


Benedict’s reagent.
 Shake, and heat for a few minutes at 95C in a water
bath
 A precipitate indicates reducing sugars
 Original Pale Blue = no reducing sugar
Brown/Red = reducing sugar
Benedict’s Test For Non-
Reducing Sugars
Non-Reducing sugars do not reduce copper sulphate.
However, if it is first hydrolysed to its constituent
monosaccharides, it will then give a positive Benedict’s
Test.
First test a sample for reducing sugars, to see if there are
any present before hydrolysis.
Then using a separate sample,
 Boil the test solution with dilute hydrochloric acid for a
few minutes to hydrolyse the glycosidic bond.
 Neutralise, by adding small amounts of solid sodium
hydrogen carbonate until it stops fizzing.
 Perform the Benedict’s test
 A positive result indicates the presence of simple non-
reducing sugar.
Iodine Test For Starch
 To approximately 2cm of the test solution add 2 drops of
iodine/potassium iodide solution.
 A blue/black colour indicates the presence of starch.

Starch is only slightly soluble in water, but the test works


well in a suspension or as a solid.
Emulsion Test For Lipids
Lipids do not dissolve in water, but do dissolve in ethanol.
This characteristic is used in the emulsion test.

 Grind up sample
 Shake some test sample with about 4cm3 of ethanol.
 Decant the liquid into a test tube of water leaving any
un-dissolved substances between.
If there are lipids dissolved in the ethanol, they will
precipitate in the water, forming a cloudy white
emulsion.
Biuret Test For Protein
 To about 2cm3 of test solution add an equal volume of
biuret solution, down the side of the test tube.
 A blue ring forms at the surface of the solution, which
disappears on shaking, and the solution turns lilac-
purple, indicating protein.

The colour change is due to a complex between nitrogen


atoms in a peptide chain and copper (II) ions, so this is
really a test for peptide bonds.

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