How would you test for the presence of a non-reducing sugar?

We can check for the presence of non-reducing sugars the Benedick's Test. If a reducing sugar is present in a solution, adding Benedick's reagent and heating will form an insoluble red precipitate. Non-reducing sugars do not change the colour of the solution, which is blue, and so we have to break the sugar down to monosaccharides by hydrolysis to prove they're non-reducing. So, when the Benedick's test gives a negative result, add dilute hydrochloric acid and put this in a water bath; this will hydrolise the bonds between the disaccharides. Hydrogen carbonate is then added to neutralise the solution as Benedick's reagent doesn't work under acidic conditions. Re-do the Benedick's test- if a non-reducing sugar was present, the solution will now produce a red precipitate, if no no reducing or non-reducing sugars were present, the solution will remain blue.

Answered by Jess O. Biology tutor

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