SELIWANOFF’S

- Used to distinguish aldoses from ketoses

- Ketoses undergo dehydration to form hydroxymethylfurfural, which form a cherry red, pale pink,
or yellow condensate when reacted with the resorcinol from the reagent
- After the test is being performed, a color change in the solution is observed. If the color turns
to red, then this means the result is positive and keto sugar is present inside the solution.
- A test to separate keto sugars structure aldo sugars
- Keto sugars get dried out in the nearness of concentrated acids to yield furfurals or their
subsidiaries which react with resorcinol in seliwanoff reagent to yield a cherry-red hue complex
as the positive result
- A cherry-red shading show the nearness of ketohexoses. Ketopentoses yield blue-green series
while aldoses and disaccharides give no shading change
- With this test, fructose will bring about cherry red shading, while the aldose sugars like glucose
will give a negative result with no re shading showing up in the serties
- In any case, if the warming is not as it is expected (which is more than 5 minutes), aldose
sugar will create a pink shading. While the sucrose (a blend of fructose and glucose) will
create a cherry red shading as a result of the fructose in it.
- This test is a timed colour reaction specific for keto hexoses. Thus it is used to distinguish
aldoses from ketoses. In the presence of HCl ketohexoses undergo dehydration to yield 4-
hydroxy methyl furfural more rapidly than aldohexoses. Further these furfural derivatives
condense with resorcinol to form a red coloured complex.
- Seliwanoff’s test is used for ketohexoses. The concentrated hydrochloric acid allows ketoses to
undergo dehydration than aldoses which further condenses forming a cherry red product.

- Seliwanoff’s test is a chemical test which distinguishes between aldose and ketose sugars.
Ketoses are distinguished from aldoses via their ketone/aldehyde functionality. If the sugar
contains a ketone group, it is a ketose. If a sugar contains an aldehyde group, it is an aldose.
This test relies on the principle that, when heated, ketoses are more rapidly dehydrated than
aldoses. It is named after Theodor Seliwanoff, the chemist that devised the test. When added
to a solution containing ketoses, a red color is formed rapidly indicating a positive test. When
added to a solution containing aldoses, a slower forming light pink is observed instead
The reagents consist of resorcinol and concentrated hydrochloric acid:

 The acid hydrolysis of polysaccharide and oligosaccharide ketoses yields simpler sugars followed
by furfural.[1]
 The dehydrated ketose then reacts with two equivalents of resorcinol in a series of condensation
reactions to produce a molecule with a deep cherry red color.
 Aldoses may react slightly to produce a faint pink color.
Fructose and sucrose are two common sugars which give a positive test. Sucrose gives a positive test
as it is a disaccharide consisting of fructose and glucose.
- When heated, ketoses are more rapidly dehydrated than aldoses.
- When Seliwanoff's reagent is added to a solution containing ketoses, a red color is formed rapidly
indicating a positive result. When added to a solution containing aldoses, a slower forming light
pink or faint red is observed instead.
- Reagents:
o HYDROCHLORIC ACID – It is a dehydrating acid. The acid hydrolyze polysaccharide and
oligosaccharide ketoses to simpler sugars, followed by furfural.
 o RESORCINOL- It is a condensation reagent. The dehydrated ketose then reacts with two
equivalents of resorcinol in a series of condensation reactions to produce a molecule with
a deep cherry red color.
o
BIAL’S ORCINOL
- Detects the presence of pentoses found within the sample
- Pentoses dehydrate to form furfural which condenses with orcinol to form a blue-green solution
- Bial’s-orcinol test shows a positive result of a blue-green solution for pentoses and is used to
differentiate pentoses from hexoses.
- The reaction works in a way that pentose is dehydrated by the reagent and a furfural form is formed.
Ocinol then reacts with this furfural which then reacts with iron to give a bluish colored product
and the presence of pentose is detected. A positive result in indicated when a bluish color appears
in the solution. Remember that only bluish color indicates a positive test. If some other color
appears then the result is negative. And this was an easy experiment to perform and check the
presence of pentose.
- This test is specific for pentoses and the compounds containing pentoses and thus useful for
the determination of pentose sugars. When pentoses are heated with concentrated HCl,
furfural is formed which condenses with orcinol, in the presence of ferric ion, to give a blue-
green color. The reaction is not absolutely specific for pentoses since prolonged of some
hexoses yields hydroxyl methyl furfural, which also reacts with orcinol, to give colored
complexes.
- Bial's test is used to distinguish pentoses from hexoses; this distinction is based on the color
that develops in the presence of orcinol and iron (III) chloride. Furfural from pentoses gives a
blue or green color. The related hydroxymethylfurfural from hexoses may give a muddy-brown
or gray solution, but this is easily distinguishable from the green color of pentoses.

SOURCES
- http://www.medbiochemistry.com/seliwanoff-test/
- http://allmedtests.com/seliwanoffs-test-principle-procedure/
- http://www.medbiochemistry.com/bial-test/
- http://allmedtests.com/bials-test/