Jun 08, 2025
Distinguish Between Reducing and Non-Reducing Sugars
- Durvesh Smita. Burhade1,
- Paridhi Jain1,
- Lakshay Saini1,
- Yash Modi1
- 1Parul University
- Durvesh Burhade Lab
Protocol Citation: Durvesh Smita. Burhade, Paridhi Jain, Lakshay Saini, Yash Modi 2025. Distinguish Between Reducing and Non-Reducing Sugars. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.dm6gpqpx1lzp/v1
Manuscript citation:
Burhade, D., Jain, P., Saini, L., Mathur, V., & Modi, Y. (2025). Comprehensive Review of Fundamental Biochemical Techniques: Integration of Quantification, Separation, and Analytical Methods in Biomolecular Studies (1.2). Open Access 2025. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14872899
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: June 07, 2025
Last Modified: June 08, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 219761
Keywords: Reducing & Non-Reducing Sugars, Fehling Test, Benedict Test, Solubility Test, Molisch Test, Carbohydrates
Funders Acknowledgements:
Yash Modi
Grant ID: ORP-BIOCHEMISTRY-2024/25
Abstract
In this Protocol, we are performing tests to distinguish between reducing and non-reducing sugars and learn about the properties of reducing and non-reducing sugars. Reducing sugars have a free aldehyde, ketone group, which allows them to reduce other compounds. We distinguish between reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars on the basis of the free aldehyde or ketone group Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. There are many different types of sugars. Some sugars have simple structures known as monosaccharides. Ex- glucose, fructose, and galactose. Sugar formed by Bonding between 2 monosaccharides is a disaccharide.
Guidelines
Carbohydrates are optically active polyhydroxy aldehydes, polyhydroxy ketones, or compound which give these units as hydrolysis products. Starch, cellulose and sugars are the familiar examples of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are classified on the basis of a number of polyhydroxy aldehyde or ketone units obtained from them on hydrolysis. Three broad classes are as follows: (i) Monosaccharides: These cannot be hydrolysed further to polyhydroxy aldehydes or ketones. (ii) Oligosaccharides: These yield 2-10 monosaccharide units on hydrolysis. Common amongst these are disaccharides, which produce two monosaccharide units. (iii) Polysaccharides: These yield a large number of monosaccharide units on hydrolysis. Monosaccharides are further classified on the basis of the number of carbon atoms and functional groups present in them. If a monosaccharide contains an aldehydic group, it is called an aldose. If it contains a keto group, it is called a ketose. Carbohydrates of all classes give Molisch’s test. Carbohydrates, which are sweet in taste, are called sugars. Glucose, fructose (fruit sugar) and sucrose (table sugar) are examples of sugars. Sugars are classified into two major categories: reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars.
Materials
Fehling Reagent
Benedict Reagent
Molisch Reagent
Safety warnings
Wear a Lab Coat & Purple Nitrile Gloves while handling solutions
Before start
Difference between Reducing & Non-Reducing sugar
Fehling's Test
Fehling's Test
Take a few drops of sugar solution, add 5 mL of Fehling’s solution and heat the mixture.
Benedict’s Test
Benedict’s Test
8 drops of sugar solution are added to 5 mL of Benedict’s reagent in a test tube and kept in the boiling water bath for 2 minutes.
Molisch’s Test
Molisch’s Test
2 drops of Molisch’s reagent are added to 2 mL of sugar
The solution is in a test tube and add 2 mL of H2SO4
Solubility Test
Solubility Test
A small amount of the substance was dissolved in water and observed.
A small amount of the substance was dissolved in hot water and observed.
A small amount of substance was dissolved in dilute HCL and observed.
A small amount of the substance was dissolved in alcohol and observed.
OBSERVATION
We perform some experiments to identify whether the sugar is reducing or not so, in this table I have written about the observation and inference which we get after performing an experiment.
RESULTS
Results of Experimentation
Protocol references
Burhade, D., Jain, P., Saini, L., Mathur, V., & Modi, Y. (2025). Comprehensive Review of Fundamental Biochemical Techniques: Integration of Quantification, Separation, and Analytical Methods in Biomolecular Studies (1.2). Open Access 2025. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14872899