Fundamentals of Organic ChemistryChemistryAldehydes and Ketones
Which of the following reagents is traditionally used to test a patient's urine for the detection of diabetes?
Options
- AFenton's reagent
- BBenedict's reagent
- CNessler's reagent
- DTollens' reagent
Correct answer
B. Benedict's reagent
Step-by-step solution
Diabetes is characterized by the presence of excess glucose in the urine, a condition known as glycosuria. Glucose is a reducing sugar because it contains a free aldehyde group in its open-chain form. Benedict's reagent, which contains copper(II) sulfate, sodium citrate, and sodium carbonate, is traditionally used to test for the presence of reducing sugars in clinical samples like urine. When heated with a reducing sugar, the blue copper(II) ions are reduced to a red precipitate of copper(I) oxide ( Cu ₂ O ). Fent