JMJ Marist Brothers

Notre Dame of Marbel University

College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Names: Cabrera Harven C., Dimaunahan Kirk Hans F. Score:

Group Number: 6 Time: TTh 2:30-4:30pm Date Performed: July 16, 2019

DETECTION OF CARBOHYDRATES IN FOOD SAMPLES

I. Introduction

Carbohydrates are a major source of energy in the human diet with intakes ranging
from 40 to 80% of total energy requirements. Carbohydrates constitute the main source
of energy for all body functions, particularly brain functions, and are necessary for the
metabolism of other nutrients. Other important effects of carbohydrates on human
physiology are satiety and gastric emptying, control of blood glucose, insulin metabolism
and serum cholesterol, and influencing colonic microflora and gastrointestinal processes
such laxation and fermentation (Muir et al. 2009).

The standard method for the detection/determination of carbohydrates in foods is

‘by difference’, that is by deducting the sum of the measured moisture, ash, protein
(calculated from the total nitrogen) and fat from the total weight. The value obtained in
this way is modified by the determination of ‘crude fibre’. This procedure provides a
reasonably rapid and reproducible method, and in many circumstances the results
obtained are sufficiently reliable. There are, however, many objections to its general
use, particularly when applied to food materials. The value for carbohydrate ‘by
difference’ includes all types of carbohydrate, from simple sugars to complex
heteropolysaccharides, in addition, to other substances such as organic acids and
lignin. It also includes any errors associated with the measurement of the other four
constituents. In particular the use of a factor to convert total nitrogen to protein may
produce considerable inaccuracy unless the true percentage of nitrogen actually
present in the protein is known. In addition, any analytical procedure for available
carbohydrates must of necessity represent a compromise between the ‘ideal’ procedure
based on the known properties. (Soga, 2000)
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

II. Objectives
At the end of the experiment, the students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate the general tools used to detect the presence of carbohydrates
in both liquid and solid samples.
2. Explain the types of carbohydrates present in foods.
3. To understand the main components of human diet by the detection of
carbohydrates present in food samples.
4. To test different food samples to determine the type of carbohydrate
present.
5. To study the various qualitative test for carbohydrates.
6. To determine the identity of an unknown carbohydrate by carrying out series
of chemical reactions.

III. Procedure
A.) Preparation of standards and samples

1mL 1mL of 1mL of 1mL of 1mL of

distilled 1% 1% 1% 1%
Water Glucose sucrose Lactose starch
Solution Solution Solution Solution
r r

1 mL of 1 mL of 1mL low 1mL 1mL of

fruit Tea fat milk cracker bread
juice Extract mixture sticks
diluted diluted
with with
water water
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

B.) Molisch Test

3 Drops of At 45° angle Observe the

Cover and slowly add 20 color and a
molisch
Shake drops of purple color is
test reagent
concentrated a positive
in each test sulfuric acid color
tube

C.) Iodine Test

One drop Shake and If none of the

of iodine observe samples produce
solution each test different color; add
in each tube. 10 drops of
test tube. distilled water and
another drop of
iodine solution.
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

IV. Data/Results
A. Molisch test
Sample Observed Color Reaction to Molisch
Test Reagant (+/-)
1mL distilled Water Green Negative
(control)
1mL of 1% Glucose Solution Purple Positive

1mL of 1% sucrose Solution Purple Positive

1mL of 1% Lactose Solution Purple Positive

1mL of 1% starch Solution Purple Positive

1 mL of fruit juice Purple Positive

1 mL of Tea Extract Purple Positive

1mL low fat milk Purple Positive

1mL cracker mixture diluted Purple Positive

with water

1mL of bread sticks diluted with Purple Positive

water
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

B. Iodine Test

Sample Observed Color Reaction to IodineTest

Reagant (+/-)
1mL distilled Water Pale yellow Negative
(control)
1mL of 1% Glucose Solution Pale yellow Negative

1mL of 1% sucrose Solution Pale yellow Negative

1mL of 1% Lactose Solution Pale yellow Negative

1mL of 1% starch Solution Violet Positive

1 mL of fruit juice Pale yellow Negative

1 mL of Tea Extract Pale yellow Negative

1mL low fat milk White Negative

1mL cracker mixture diluted Blue Positive

with water

1mL of bread sticks diluted with Pale yellow Negative

water
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

V. Discussion

1. What are the products formed when each of the following carbohydrates is
hydrolyzed?
a. Sucrose (table sugar) - In the hydrolysis of any di- or poly saccharide or
sucrose, a water molecule helps to break the acetal bond. The H from the
water is added to the oxygen on the glucose. The -OH is then added to the
carbon on the fructose.
b. Lactose- Product of hydrolysis of lactose are glucose and
galactose. Lactose (milk sugar) is a disaccharide found in milk. It can
be hydrolyzed to form one unit of glucose and one unit of galactose.
Lactase is an enzyme that catalyzes this hydrolysis.
c. Maltose- Maltose is further hydrolyzed by the enzyme maltase to produce
two molecules of d-glucose.
d. Starch-Whenever starch (polysaccharides) molecules undergo hydrolysis,
it forms either monosaccharides, disaccharides or trisaccharides. The
end products depends on the strength of enzymes used and the common
enzymes are, α-Amylase, which produces the disaccharide maltose and
the trisaccharide maltotriose.
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

2. What is the reaction of sucrose in Benedict’s test? Why is sucrose a non-

reducing sugar? Explain with a structural illustration.
- Sucrose is thus a non-reducing sugar which does not react with Benedict's
reagent. Sucrose indirectly produces a positive result with Benedict's
reagent if heated with dilute hydrochloric acid prior to the test, although after
this treatment it is no longer sucrose.

 Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar because the carbon elements of the aldehyde

groups are bonded in what's called A glycosidic bond, so that it cannot form an
open-chain structure with an available aldehyde group.
 Moreover, sucrose contains acetal instead of hemiacetal. A sugar without
hemiacetal is non-reducing sugar because it doesn't behave as a reducing agent
towards oxidizing metal salt.
 Not only that, sucrose doesn't exhibit mutarotation because the glycosidic bond is
between the anomeric carbon of glucose and the anomeric carbon of fructose.
And not showing mutarotation is the properties of non-reducing sugars as
reducing sugars exhibit mutarotation.
 (So after the explanation, we’ve reached in a conclusion that sucrose is A non-
reducing sugar.)
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

VI. Conclusion

In conclusion, the experiment was successful in using benedict test and iodine
test. Both of the test namely the Benedict’s test and Iodine’s test plays an important role
in detection of carbohydrates in any food samples. Benedict test is used to detect the
presence of reducing sugar such as glucose, fructose and lactose. All monosaccharides
are reducing sugar, they all have a free reactive carbonyl group. Some disaccharides
have expose carbonyl group and are also reducing sugar/ lactose which is
disaccharides also called reducing sugar as it expose carbonyl group.

Other disaccharides such as sucrose and starch are non-reducing sugar will not
react with benedict test. Next, we used iodine test to test for the presence of starch.
Starch is a type of polysaccharides carbohydrates which is made up of amylose and
amylopectin. Furthermore, carbohydrates is important in our body for it provide the main
energy source for the human body. The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide
energy for the body, especially the brain and the nervous system. But let us also
remember that too much eating of these stuff would actually lead to serious problems,
control of consuming carbohydrates should be observed.

VII. Documentation

Results of food
samples in a test Results of 1 mL
tube rack from of fruit juice
Iodine test from Benedict’s
test
 JMJ Marist Brothers
Notre Dame of Marbel University
College of Arts and Sciences
City of Koronadal, South Cotabato

Results of 1mL Results of 1 mL

low fat milk bread sticks from
from Benedict’s test
Benedict’s test

Results of
crackers
mixture from
Benedict’s test

VIII. References
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a6cd/fb4e3e5b99a4e0da1ee67b7d8a480eb906b8.
pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/maltose
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-sucrose-a-non-reducing-sugar
https://sciencing.com/sucrose-nonreducing-sugar-5882980.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sucrose-glucose-fructose
https://vlab.amrita.edu/?sub=3&brch=63&sim=631&cnt=2
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jsfa.2740200602