REACTIONS OF XYLOSE

S.NO EXPERIMENTS OBSERVATION INFERENCE

01 MOLISCH’S TEST
To5.0 ml of xylose solution added A violet color ring was got Carbohydrate + conc.
two drops of Molisch’s reagent and at the junction of two Sulphuric acid → furfural
3.0 ml of concentrated sulphuric acid liquids. + α naphthol →violet
along the sides of the test tube color. The reaction is due
without shaking so as to form a layer to the condensation of
of acid beneath the xylose solution. hydroxyl methyl furfural
with sulphonated
naphthol.

Xylose does not answer

IODINE’S TEST this test, as it is not a
polysaccharide.
To a small amount of xylose solution, No characteristic change
02 added few drop of dilute iodine was noticed.
solution.

NaOH

FEHLING’S TEST Cu2+ + reducing sugar→

cupric hydroxide (CuOH)
To 0.5 ml of Fehling’s reagent in test
→ cuprous oxide. The
tube added a small amount of xylose
03 A reddish brown red precipitate is
solution and heated in boiling water
precipitate was obtained. cuprous oxide. This
bath for three minutes.
shows that the xylose is
a reducing sugar.

BENEDICT’S TEST
To2.0ml of xylose solution added 8
drops of Benedict’s reagent and
heated in boiling water bath for 3
minutes and then allowed to cool
spontaneously.
04
BARFOED’S TEST
To 0.5 ml of Barfoed’s reagent added
5.0ml of xylose solution and heated
in boiling water bath for three
minutes.
PICRIC ACID TEST
05
To 5.0ml of xylose solution, added
2.0ml of saturated picric acid
solution and 1.0ml of sodium
carbonate solution and heated water
in boiling water bath for three
minutes.
SELIVANOFF’S TEST
06
To 5.0ml of xylose solution added
NaOH
Cu2+ + reducing sugar→
Cupric hydroxide (CuOH)
→cuprous oxide. The red
precipitate is cuprous
oxide. This shows that
First a greenish yellow and
xylose is reducing sugar.
the a reddish orange
precipitated was got.
It indicates that xylose is
a monosaccharide.
A brick precipitate was
obtained at the bottom
and the sides of the test
It is due to the reduction
tube.
of picric acid to picramic
acid and it indicates
xylose is a reducing
sugar.
A mahogany red color
solution was obtained.
This shows the absence
of keto group in xylose.
 Selivanoff’s reagent and boiled for
few minutes in direct flame.

BIAL’S TEST
No characteristic change This shows that xylose is
To 5.0ml of xylose solution added was noticed. a pentose sugar.
Bial’s reagent and boiled in water
bath for few minutes.

07

PHENYL HYDRAZINE TEST

A greenish color solution Xylosazone is formed as
To a small amount of phenyl
was obtained. needle shaped crystals in
hydrazine mixture, added a few
the form of “sheaves of
drops of glacial acetic acid, added
corn”.
equal volume of xylose solution and
heated in a boiling water bath for
08
half an hour. Allowed to cool at room
temperature and viewed the crystal
Yellow precipitate was
under microscope.
obtained. Yellow needle
shaped crystal in the form
of “SHEAVES OF CORN”
Yellow needle shaped
were seen under the
crystals of xylosazone
microscope.
09