UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

THE PONTIFICAL AND ROYAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

COLLEGE OF NURSING

Daniel James S. Colcol September 29, 2018

1NUR-4 Ma'am Erlinda Dilan / Ma'am Joyce Tan

BIOCHEMISTRY: Pre-Laboratory on Proteins

1. What are the precautionary measures given in the experiment and for what specific
chemicals are they given?
Precautionary measures such as care for flammable substances such as ethanol
and ether. As well as avoiding contact with corrosive substances such as HNO3, NaOH,
and concentrated sulfuric acid.

2. What is the isoelectric point? What is its importance in the preparation of cottage
cheese (kesong puti)?
It is the pH at whicha particular molecule does not migrate at a given electric field.
This means that it is where the overall charge of a molecule is zero (neutral charge).In the
preparation of cottage cheese (kesong puti), the isoelectric point plays a major role which
enables the casein (a type of protein found in cheese) to separate from the liquid and
clump together when an isoelectric point of 4.6 (pH value of casein) is achieved.

3. Give the names and symbols of the functional groups present in the amino acid that will
be positive with the given tests. What are the positive visible results of these tests?
Name of the Symbol Visible Result
Functional Group

a. Lead Acetate Thiol -SH Black or Brown

Test
b. Sakaguchi Test Guanidine Red color
c. Xanthoproteic Aromatic R groups Yellow color
Test

d. FeCl3 Phenol Violet or Green

4. Give the formula of aspartame. Explain its structural similarity to a peptide.

The formula for aspartame is C14H18N2O5.

Aspa
rtame Peptide
A peptide is composed of two or more amino acids joined by amides involving the
carboxyl group of each amino acid and the amino group of the next.
While aspartame, a dipeptide and a methyl ester of 2 amino acids, is made up of
aspartic acid and phenylalanine joined together by the presence of an amide bond just like
the concept that of a peptide.

5. Are all amino acids reactive with the Biuret reagent. Why or why not?
 Not all. The principle of the Biuret test is to detect the presence of peptide bonds. A
biuret reagent has a blue color which turns into violet in the presence of these peptide
bonds—which are chemical bonds that hold amino acids together.Proteins that are being
tested must have at least 3 amino acids, which also means that a certain protein must
contain at least 2 peptide bonds. It is not applicable for some substances which contain
only 1 amino acid and no reaction will occur.

6. How is denaturation made use of in the hospital setting?

There are several ways wherein denaturation is utilized:
 Denaturing expired stocks of controlled drugs on the hospital premises or
from the patients’ homes/community.
 Denaturing controlled drugs in the patients’ homes before leaving the
premises.
 Denaturing controlled drugs at a central point witnessed by authorized
personnel.

SOURCES:
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26, 2018, from https://slinkyscribblets.weebly.com/biochem-lab/activity-no-5-
color-tests-for-proteins-and-specific-amino-acids
Amino acids and their symbols. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
http://www.math.utep.edu/Faculty/mleung/bioinformatics/aacodon.html
Aspartame. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2018, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/aspartame
Aspartame. (n.d.). Retrieved August 27, 2018, from
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/aspartame.html
Britannica, T. E. (2016, October 21). Peptide. Retrieved August 27, 2018, from
https://www.britannica.com/science/peptide
Denaturing of controlled drugs at a place other than the Premises of Production. (n.d.).
Retrieved August 26, 2018, from http://www.srcl.com/wp-
content/uploads/2015/04/Environment-Agency-Regulatory-Position-Statement-
Denaturing-Controlled-Drugs.pdf
Experiment 2- Qualitative Analysis of Amino acids and Proteins. (n.d.). Retrieved August
26, 2018, from http://www.uobabylon.edu.iq/eprints/publication_5_3216_904.pdf
Hunt, I. R. (n.d.). Ch27: Isoelectronic point. Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
http://www.chem.ucalgary.ca/courses/351/Carey5th/Ch27/ch27-1-4.html
Isoelectric point. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/isoelectric-point
Milk and Cheese. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
http://www.koofers.com/flashcards/nusc-milk-and-chees/review
Peptide Geometry Part. 2. (n.d.). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS95/course/3_geometry/peptide2.html
Xanthoproteic test. (2018, July 04). Retrieved August 26, 2018, from
http://www.medbiochemistry.com/xanthoproteic-test/