The simplest sugar test (with Benedict’s Solution) tells us if glucose, fructose or galactose is
present in something.
Remember nature sometimes combines these simplest forms into more complex forms:
Glucose
Fructose
=
Suc
rose
And the simplest sugar test (with Benedict’s Solution) can not tell us if
SUCROSE is present in foods, and sucrose is a very common form of sugar.
ASE which can digest SUCROSE
But….there is a chemical called SUCR
And turn it into glucose and fructose.
Sugar Tests
So how can you find out if there is sucrose in a food item?
fructose
glucose
sucrose
Control
Experiment Add sucrase
Sugar Tests
fructose
glucose
sucrose
Without
sucrase
With sucrase
The simplest
sugar test
won’t detect
sucrose
But after adding sucrAse and digesting into
fructose and glucose, now there WILL be a color
change in the simplest sugar test.
Sugar Tests
What if a food item contains sucrose AND simplest sugars?
fructose
glucose
sucrose
It will pass the
simplest sugar test
in this case, so what
can you do to see if
there is sucrose
there?
ControlWithout
sucrase
Experiment With sucrase
Sugar Tests
fructose
glucose
sucrose
Without
sucrase
With sucrase
If there’s a
mix of
sugars, you’ll
see a color
change in the
simplest
sugars test…
But if there was sucrose present, you’ll
see a faster or greater change.