Investigation of Action of Saliva and 3 M Hydrochloric Acid in Two Carbohydrate

Solutions

Title : Investigation of Action of Saliva and 3 M Hydrochloric Acid in Two

Carbohydrate Solutions

Objective : To investigate the action of saliva and 3 hydrochloric acid in two

carbohydrate solution

Results

Table1:

Observation Conclusion

Solution A

Benedicts test:

Blue coloration turned to brick red precipitate.

the solution A.

Reducing sugar is present in

Iodine test:

The coloration remained unchanged.

Solution B

Starch is absent in solution A.

Benedicts test:

The blue coloration remained unchanged.

solution B.

Reducing sugar is absent in

Iodine test:

The coloration turn into dark blue coloration. Starch is present in solution B.

Table 2:

Tube

Contents

Temperature(C)

Benedict's Test-Colour Observation

After min 5th min

(from tubes 1 - 4 into 1' - 4')

After 35th min

(from tubes 1 - 4 into 1' - 4')

10 ml solution B

1 ml saliva 37
Blue coloration turned into translucent green.Blue coloration
turned to green and finally moderate amount of brick red precipitate suspended
in solution. The solution was opaque.

10 ml solution B

3 M HCI
37
The blue coloured solution remains unchanged.
coloured solution remains unchanged.

The blue

10 ml solution B

3 M HCI
95
White coloured translucent suspension formed in moderate
amount.
A very big amount of white suspension formed which is very
opaque. Turned back into translucent and remaining solution was blue which is
translucent.

10 ml solution B

1 ml saliva 95
The blue coloured solution remains unchanged.
coloured solution remains unchanged as well.

The blue

Discussion :

In the experiment, the enzyme amylase was involved. Amylase breaking down
the starch suspension into maltose and maltose into glucose when HCL was
added into solution B .This is because solution B was hydrolyzed and the H+ ions
present break down the bond in between molecules of the solution B.

Saliva enzyme works the best at the optimum temperature which at 37C.
Therefore, the solution B in test tube 1 is broken down completely by the saliva
enzyme. At temperature 95C , salivary amylase which was present in saliva
content denatured .This is because high temperature would break down the bond
holding the tertiary structure and destroyed the 3D structure of salivary amylase
enzyme. The active sites of enzyme therefore changed and were no longer
complementary to the substrate (carbohydrates). No simple sugar was produced,
hence no reaction between sugar and Benedicts solution took place caused the
solution to remain blue.

The product of the experiment conducted in Table 2 is predicted to be maltose

and glucose. Both maltose and glucose are carbohydrates. Glucose is a
monosaccharide while maltose is disaccharide. The structure of glucose contains
single simple sugar unit but the structure of maltose contain two simple sugar
unit (also known as two monosaccharides or two glucose units).

Benedicts test was used to indicate the presence of sugar. Benedict's Solution
which contains the blue copper ions (II) (Cu2+), are hydrolyzed by reducing
sugars into red-brown copper (I) ions (Cu+), which is insoluble in solution. As a
result, red-brown precipitate is formed.

The results of Benedict's test and iodine test for solution A is positive and
negative respectively, which concludes that solution A is a reducing sugar. For
solution B, the results are negative and positive respectively, which concludes in
solution B being starch suspension. Therefore, solution B is more complex
comparing to solution A. This is because starch is made up of large number of
glucose units and has more complex structure.

Conclusion : Solution A is a reducing sugar, Solution B is starch suspension.