There are many different reducing sugars e.g glucose, lactose, ribose and others.?

Question

Is it possible to tell which particular sugar is present in a food using benedict's Test? Explain.

Answer 1

Not directly.

Carbohydrates that contain aldehydes or a-hydroxymethyl ketones can be oxidized by Cu(II) ion and are classified as reducing sugars. They reduce the Cu(II) ion to Cu(I).

The Cu(II) is the soluble blue Cu+2 ion. The Cu(I) is as Cu2O which is a brick red solid. The aldehyde (CHO) is oxidized to the appropriate organic acid (COO)-1