World Journal of Chemical Education, 2018, Vol. 6, No.

2, 82-86
Available online at http://pubs.sciepub.com/wjce/6/2/1
©Science and Education Publishing
DOI:10.12691/wjce-6-2-1

Laboratory Activities to Introduce Carbohydrates

Qualitative Analysis to College Students
Mohamed I. Elzagheid*

Department of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology, Jubail Industrial College, Jubail Industrial City,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract This paper presents practical applications of a laboratory inquiry for systematic chemistry learning of
carbohydrates. In the laboratory inquiry, students are requested to perform qualitative tests for monosaccharides,
disaccharides, and polysaccharides. In addition to that, students are instructed to distinguish specific sugars from
non-specific ones. The chemical knowledge and concepts of organic chemistry are actively used to reinforce the
previous learning. Such practical activities promote students' readiness for their future career as lab technicians. Our
approach is also to link all written laboratory activities with infographics or illustrations to facilitate well
understanding of all practical laboratory steps.
Keywords: Undergraduate, Graduate, Introductory Chemistry, Laboratory Instructions, Hands-on Learning,
Carbohydrates Qualitative Tests
Cite This Article: Mohamed I. Elzagheid, “Laboratory Activities to Introduce Carbohydrates Qualitative
Analysis to College Students.” World Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 6, no. 2 (2018): 82-86.
doi: 10.12691/wjce-6-2-1.
83 World Journal of Chemical Education

1. Introduction 2. Objects
Many educational leaders and experts believe that the The aim of this article is to promote acquiring of
key to improving student performance lies in improving knowledge by active participation through interactive learning.
methodologies of teaching. When academic standards, We also intend to describe the basis of qualitative tests for
curriculum and students assessments are aligned to those monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides in a
standards and teachers in charge have the skills to teach at very simple and straightforward approach.
that level student performance will improve. [1-6]
Innovative new approaches to deliver laboratory material
in undergraduate chemistry laboratory are required. 3. Laboratory Activities
Designing a written or drawn assignment promote better
understanding in introductory chemistry courses. [7] This Students will do the following activities: Activity 1:
is because good understanding of laboratory instructions Molisch Test for Carbohydrates, Activity 2: Benedict’s
in the educational process is associated with excellent test for Reducing Sugars, Activity 3: Iodine Test for
learning of chemistry. [8] Starch and Glycogen, Activity 4: Barfoed's Test for
Laboratory inquiry, well-organized learning Monosaccharides, Activity5: Resorcinol (Seliwanoff's)
communication, measuring students’ meaningful learning, Test for Ketohexoses, and Activity 6: Silver Mirror Test
students’ participation and applying experimental work in (Tollen's Reagent) for Reducing Sugars.
chemistry curricula are all necessary to enhance the To achieve these objects, students perform different
learning and establish the teaching experience in more laboratory activities, related to carbohydrate analysis and
interactive and more effective way in the Laboratory. familiarize themselves with methods of preparation of
[9,10] We believe that any practical work should aim to different reagents involved in the analyses.
encourage careful recording of laboratory observations,
promote simple scientific methods of thought, and
develop skills, base training on problem solving. This can 4. Experimental Overview and Students’
be done by different approaches and one approach is to Proposed Tasks
design exercises associated with chemistry laboratory and
let students practice them. [11] The weaknesses of any The instructor provides a complete manual for the
chemistry laboratory program is usually associated with experimental procedures as student’s handout in line with
cook booking, lack of experimental design, ignorance of the students’ laboratory discussion. Activities are designed
the literature review, and lack of instructor interest. A and implemented as part of an industrial chemistry technology
semester-long laboratory course designed in a format that course, named as Introduction to Macromolecule Chemistry,
involves active student participation and critical thinking, for industrial chemistry undergraduates, during the second
lead students to enjoy the lab and become independent semester and after the completion of organic chemistry
players. [12] course as a prerequisite. The activities are conducted during
A semester-long introduction to macromolecule the last eighteen academic semesters with approximately
chemistry laboratory course was designed [13] and run to 24 students per semester. Students are introduced to the
familiarize students with basic Biomacromolecules theoretical concepts related to macromolecule chemistry
experiments. The designed material involves active chapter prior to the practical experiments. Students are
student participation and guides students to become also distributed into three groups and the experiments are
independent chemists. It teaches them to assume designed to be completed within three laboratory periods
responsibility in a group helps them in decision making (≈2.5 h) as presented in Table 1.
and develops their autonomy in writing lab reports.
Hence, we present in this paper laboratory activities Table 1. Overview of the students’ Performance Tasks
for performing carbohydrates’ qualitative tests. The
Task Description Time (In Minutes)
current article demonstrates the connection between
Formation of students’ groups (teams) 10
student academic achievement and teacher classroom
Distribution of handouts 10
practices where students study and conceptualize
Distribution of experimental procedure
fundamental concepts of carbohydrates. Therefore, 15
tasks among team members
students were divided into small groups (number of Labeling of beakers, preparation of reagent
75
groups depends on number of students in each laboratory solutions and performing selected activities
section). Having three students in each group will Summarizing results/observations 20
facilitate receiving the merged knowledge of theoretical Cleaning glassware and making place tidy 20
macromolecule chemistry-organic chemistry-biochemistry Total time for all tasks 150
and have some control over the execution of the total
2 ½ hours laboratory work. The allotted time is given
to create a scientific thinking and experimental outcome 5. Handling Chemicals
observations subsequently. Diverse students’ practical
skills encourage students’ learning and also increase their Students are given clear instructions on how to handle
interest in science and help in the promotion of chemicals involved in the given experiments. [14,15]
understanding of “how science works” to gain more Instructor explains students’ laboratory guidelines and
laboratory experience. goes through the procedure of the practical activities
 World Journal of Chemical Education 84

before executing the experiments. Students must always reducing sugars in any given sample.
wear protective eye goggles, proper gloves, and laboratory
coat. Before performing any given experiment, students Procedure:
must be aware with all hazards associated with it. In addition, 1. Add 1 ml of the 2% sugar solution to be tested to 5
students shall always observe good housekeeping principles ml of Benedict's solution (Fresh solution can be
in the laboratory, wash hands before and after work in the prepared by mixing 10 g sodium carbonate and 17.3
laboratory, and immediately after chemical spills cleanups. g monosodium citrate dehydrate in 85 ml water, and
Students also reminded to never work alone in any chemical while stirring add 10 ml of water containing 1.73 g
laboratory or leave chemical reaction unattended without copper sulfate then make to a final volume of
arranging appropriate safeguards and be alert and proceed 100 ml).
with caution at all times in the laboratory. They also have 2. Place test tubes in a boiling water bath.
to notify the instructor immediately of any unsafe conditions. 3. Formation of red to brick red precipitate is a
positive result as in Figure 2. [17]

6. Activities Procedures
Activity 1: Molisch Test for Carbohydrates
Molisch test is a general test used to detect the presence
of carbohydrates. If a negative test result is obtained the
presence of sugars in the sample is omitted. It is a useful
test for identifying any compound which can be dehydrated
to furfural or hydroxymethylfurfural in the presence of
H2SO4. Alpha naphthol reacts with the cyclic aldehyde to
form purple colored condensation products. [16]

Procedure: Figure 2. Benedict’s test for Reducing Sugars

1. Add 2 drops of Molisch reagent (prepared dissolving

0.1g of ∞-naphthol in 2 ml of ethanol) to 2 ml of Activity 3: Iodine Test for Starch
the sugar solution to be tested and mix. Iodine reagent (IKI) is used to distinguish starch and
2. Incline the tube, and GENTLY add 2 ml of glycogen from other monosaccharides and polysaccharides.
concentrated sulfuric acid down the side of the test The reagent yields a blue-black color in the presence
tube. of starch (A). Glycogen reacts with the reagent to
3. A purple color at the interface between the sugar give a brown-black color. Other polysaccharides and
and acid indicates a positive result as in Figure 1. monosaccharides yield yellow-orange color (B). Amylose,
in the starch, is responsible for the reaction with iodine.
Its helices bind iodine atoms in the solution and
produce amylose-iodine complex (I3- slides into amylose
coil to form a complex that gives a blue-black color) as in
Figure 3.

Figure 1. Molisch test for Carbohydrates

Activity 2: Benedict’s test for Reducing

Sugars
Benedict’s test is a general test for aldehydes and alpha
hydroxyl ketones. It can be used to detect the presence of Figure 3. Activity 3: Iodine test for Starch and Glycogen
85 World Journal of Chemical Education

Procedure: minutes, aldoses will sometimes produce a pink color and

1. Add 2-3 drops of Lugol's iodine solution or (freshly sucrose (a combination of fructose and glucose) will
prepared iodine solution, 1% iodine in 2% produce a cherry red color too.
potassium iodide, 1g of iodine and 2g of KI
Procedure:
dissolved in 100ml distilled water) to 5 ml of 2%
sugar solution to be tested. 1. Dissolve 0.1 g resorcinol in 33 ml concentrated
2. Starch gives a blue-black color as shown in Figure 3 hydrochloric acid (HCl) and make the final volume
(A). Other polysaccharides (except glycogen gives to 100 ml.
brown-black) and monosaccharides give yellow to 2. Add 1 mL of the 1% sugar solution to be tested to
brown-yellow color as shown in Figure 3 (B). 10 mL of the reagent.
3. Heat the solution in a boiling water bath for 5
minutes.
Activity 4: Barfoed's Test for Monosaccharides
4. A deep cherry or red color within 5 minutes
Barfoed's reagent is used to detect the presence of indicates the presence of ketohexoses as in Figure 5.
reducing monosaccharides in the presence of Sucrose gives a positive ketohexose test because of
disaccharides. The reagent, here, uses copper ions to the partial hydrolysis to glucose and fructose.
detect reducing sugars in an acidic solution. This test
differs from other tests that detect reducing sugars both
mono- or disaccharides.

Procedure:
1. Mix 7 g of copper acetate monohydrate with 1 ml of
glacial acetic acid in distilled water and make the
final volume 100 ml.
2. Add 1 ml of the 2% sugar solution to be tested to 3
ml of Barfoed's reagent.
3. Place test tubes into a boiling water bath and heat
for 3-10 minutes. Remove the tubes from the bath
and allow cooling.
4. Formation of scanty red precipitate, as in Figure 4,
is a positive result for reducing monosaccharides.

Figure 5. Resorcinol (Seliwanoff's) test for Ketohexose

Activity 6: Silver mirror Test (Tollen's

Reagent) for Reducing Sugars
Tollen’s test is used to distinguish between aldehydes
and ketones. Tollen’s reagent, a solution of silver nitrate
and ammonia oxidizes aldehydes but not ketones. The
silver ions are reduced to metallic silver which forms a
“silver mirror” in the inner surface of the test tube.

Procedure:
1. Wash the tube with a 10% solution of sodium
hydroxide (1g NaOH in 10ml of distilled water).
2. Add 2 ml of a 5% (0.5g in 10 ml distilled water)
silver nitrate solution (AgNO3) into the washed tube,
then add one drop of the 10% sodium hydroxide
Figure 4. Barfoed's test for Monosaccharides solution.
3. Add one drop of 28% ammonia solution (add more
drops if necessary). Shake constantly. Watch and
Activity 5: Resorcinol (Seliwanoff's) Test for see just when the silver oxide just dissolves, then
Ketohexoses add 1 ml of 2% sugar solution.
Seliwanoff's test used to distinguish ketoses from 4. The formation of a silver mirror in the inner surface
aldoses. For example, fructose (ketose) will give a cherry of the test tube, as in Figure 6, is a positive
red color, while glucose (aldose) will give a negative result and an indication of the presence of reducing
result with no cherry red, but if heating is continued over 5 sugar.
 World Journal of Chemical Education 86

Acknowledgments
Author of this article acknowledges references of this
manuscript and thank Dr. Murad Alsawalha and Mr.
Mohammed Hanifa for their help in the preparation of the
figures.

Statement of Competing Interests

The author has no competing interests

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