TEST FOR CARBOHYDRATES

Molisch Test (-Naphthol Reaction)

general test for carbohydrates
reagent: 15% -naphthol in alcohol
positive result: violet ring at the junction of 2 liquids
Seliwanoffs Test (Resorcin-HCl Test)
specific test for fructose and ketohexoses
reagent: resorcinol in dilute HCl (Seliwanoffs reagent)
rapid formation of hydroxymethylfurfural as compared to glucose
and others that do so only when overheated
positive result: red color to red ppt
Tollens Test (Phloroglucin-HCl Test)
test for aldehyde and ketone
reagent: 2% phloroglucin solution
positive result: silver mirror
Bials Test (Orcin-HCl test)
test for pentoses
reagent: 50% saturated orcinol solution in alcohol
positive result: blue green color
Taubers Benzidine Test
test for pentoses
reagent: benzidine solution
positive result: cherry red color
Moores Test
action of strong alkalies
reagent: concentrated NaOH
positive result: caramel

Phenylhydrazine Reaction
test for sugars which produce specific osazone crystals (lactose and
mannose)
glucose, fructose and mannose produce the same crystals
reagent: 1:1 phenylhydrazine and NaOAc
positive result:
o glucosazone needle shaped
o lactosazone fluffly ball shaped
o maltosazone sunflower shaped
Fehlings Test
test for reducing sugars
general test for monosaccharides
reagent:
o Fehlings A copper sulfate solution
o Fehlings B Rochelle salt in H2O (alkaline tartrate solution)
positive result: brick red ppt
Benedicts Test
test for reducing sugars
reagent: CuSO4 + Na2CO3 + Na3C6H5O7
positive result: brick red ppt
Barfoeds Test
test for distinguishing reducing monosaccharides from disaccharides
reagent: copper acetate solution, 50% HOAc
positive result: brick red ppt
o monosaccharides within 7 minutes of boiling
o disaccharides after 7 minutes of boiling
Trommers Test
acid hydrolysis to generate monosaccharides from disaccharides
reagent: KOH added with CuSO4
positive result: bright red color

Nylanders Test
test for glucose
reagent: bismuth subnitrate
positive result: black ppt
Mucic Acid Test
test for lactose and galactose
reagent: concentrated HNO3 (oxidation)
positive result: mucic acid crystals
Nitro-Chromic Acid Test
test for the presence of free CH-OH groups
reagent: concentrated HNO3 + 5% K2CrO4
positive result: blue color
Iodine Test
test for starch
reagent: Lugols solution
positive result: deep blue color
TEST FOR PROTEINS
Biuret Test
test for Biuret (NH2-CO-NH-CO-NH2 group) from peptide linkages
reagent: NaOH + CuSO4 + potassium sodium tartrate
positive result: violet solution
Paulys Diazo Test
test for histidine (H), tyrosine (Y)
reagent: sulfanilic acid in HCl
positive result: red color (azo dye)

Xanthoproteic Acid Test

test for phenyl group or benzene ring (phenylalanine, tyrosine,
tryptophan)
reagent: HNO3
positive result: yellow to orange color
Ninhydrin Test
test for -amino acids
reagent: phosphate buffer + ninhydrin solution
positive result: blue or purple product (Ruhemanns purple)
Millons Test
test for hydroxybenzene or phenol group
positive for tyrosine (Y)
reagent: mercuric sulfate in H2SO4
positive result: old rose ppt
Glycoxylic Acid Test (Adamkiewicz Reaction)
test for indole ring
positive for tryptophan (W)
reagent: acetic acid + H2SO4
positive result: violet ring
Lead Acetate Test (Reduced Sulfur Test)
test for sulfur in sulfhydryl group
positive for cysteine (C), methionine (M), cystine (2 cysteine
molecules bonded with a disulfide link)
reagent: NaOH + 1% lead acetate solution
positive result: black ppt
Sakaguchi Reaction
test for guanidine group (arginine)
reagent: NaOH and naphthol solution
positive result: red color

HISTOCHEMICAL TESTS

TEST FOR OILS

Reagent
Dragendorffs reagent

Component Tested
alkaloids

Ferric chloride TS

tannins

Iodine TS
Sudan III
Tollens reagent

starch
fats and oils
lignin

Positive Result
orange ppt
green, blue, blue-green
or black color
dark blue color
red orange globules
bright pink color

Test
Halpen or Bevan Test
Perken Test
Miloni Test
Baudouin Test
Serger Reaction

Fixed Oils
Cottonseed oil
Cottonseed oil
Olive oil
Sesame oil
Vegetable oil

ALKALOIDAL REAGENTS
GLYCOSIDE TESTS
Test
Liebermann-Burchard
Test
Kedde Test

Component Tested
sterols

Keller-Kiliani Test

2-deoxysugars

Fehlings Test

reducing sugars

unsaturated lactones

Positive Result
green color with red and
blue tones
violet-blue color
reddish-brown color that
may turn blue or purple
brick-red ppt

Reagent
Tannic acid solution
Mayers reagent
Wagners reagent
Valsers reagent
Dragendorffs reagent
Krauts reagent
Hagers reagent

TEST FOR TANNINS

Marmes reagent
Hydrolyzable
Other Names

Pyrogallotannins

Composition

Gallic acid or related

polyhydric compound
esters

Hydrolysis

Readily hydrolyze into

phenolic acids and sugar

Boiled with HCl

+ FeCl3
+ heat
+ bromine H2O

Gallic or ellagic acids

Blue or blue-green color
Pyrogallol
No ppt

Nonhydrolyzable
Catechol tannins
Pyrocatechol tannins
Phlobatannins
Only phenolic nuclei
frequently linked to CHOs or
CHONs
Polymerize into insoluble,
usually red-colored products
known as phlobaphenes
Red insoluble phlobaphenes
Greenish black color
Catechol
Ppt

Sonnenscheins reagent
Scheiblers reagent
Rosenthalers reagent
Shaers reagent
Meckes reagent
Marquis reagent
Mandalins reagent
Erdmanns reagent

Component
Tannic acid
Hg in KI
I in KI
HgI2
K-Bi iodide
Modified Dragendorffs
reagent
Saturated picric acid
solution
Potassium cadmium
iodide
Phosphomolybdic acid
Phosphotungstic acid
Potassium arsenate,
concentrated H2SO4
H2O2, concentrated
H2SO4
Selenious acid,
concentrated H2SO4
Formaldehyde,
concentrated H2SO4
Sulfovanidic acid
Concentrated HNO3,
concentrated H2SO4

Positive Result
Dark brown ppt
Cream ppt
Reddish-brown ppt
Orange ppt
Reddish brown ppt
Brown ppt
Yellow ppt

ADDITIONAL NOTES
Antibiotic Structures

Penicillins
Cephalosporins
Aminoglycosides
Tetracyclines
Macrolides

-amino penicillanic acid

(-lactam ring + thiazolidine ring)
-lactam ring + dihydrothiazine ring
Aminocyclitol ring
Four fused cyclic ring
Macrocyclic lactone ring

Blood Typing
Blood Type
A
B
AB (universal receiver)
O (universal donor)

Antigen
N-acetylgalactosamine
D-galactose
Both N-acetylgalactosamine and Dgalactosamine
None