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Experiment 11. Testing Food Samples For Protein

The document describes an experiment to test various food samples for the presence of protein using the biuret test. Students will crush small amounts of different foods in water and add sodium hydroxide and copper sulfate solutions to observe any color change, recording the results. A discussion section follows with questions about interpreting the results.

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Brianna Plowright
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67 views2 pages

Experiment 11. Testing Food Samples For Protein

The document describes an experiment to test various food samples for the presence of protein using the biuret test. Students will crush small amounts of different foods in water and add sodium hydroxide and copper sulfate solutions to observe any color change, recording the results. A discussion section follows with questions about interpreting the results.

Uploaded by

Brianna Plowright
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
Download as doc, pdf, or txt
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Experiment 11.

Testing food samples for protein


(a) In your notebook draw up a table like the one below.
(b) Label six test-tubes 1-6.
(c) If the food is a solid, crush a small piece (about 5 mm cube in a mortar with about
1! cm
"
water. (If the food is a li#uid, simply pour about $! mm of it into a test-tube.
(d) %our about $! mm of the crushed mixture into a test-tube.
(e) &dd about 5 mm of sodium hydroxide solution. ('&() *
(f) &dd about 5 mm dilute copper sulphate solution and shake the tube +ently sideways
to mix the contents. (eturn the tube to the rack and wait for a few seconds.
(g) (ecord the results in the table in your notebook.
Food
Result on adding sodium hydroxide and copper
sulphate
Interpretation
Milk
Egg white
Onion
Apple
Beans
White meat
* '&(). ,odium hydroxide is caustic and dissol-es clothin+, skin and bench tops. It is
destructi-e, so if any is spilt on the bench, neutrali.e it at once with an e#ual -olume of dilute
hydrochloric acid and wipe dry. If spilt on clothin+, do the same but follow with a wash in as
much water as possible. If spilt on the skin, do not add acid but wash under the tap until the
/soapy/ feelin+ is remo-ed.
Experiment 11 Discussion
1 In which of your samples do you think protein is fairly abundant0
2 In which samples do you think protein is absent or in -ery low concentration0
3 If one of your samples +i-es no purple colour with the biuret test, does this result mean
that the sample contains no protein0
4 If a food sample +i-es a purple colour with the biuret test does this mean that it contains
only protein0

Experiment 11 Testing food samples for protein
1ood tests 11.!1
1ood tests 11.!$
Outline 1ood samples are crushed in water and the biuret test applied.
Prior no!ledge 2he biuret reaction (not essential. 2he caustic nature of sodium hydroxide.
"d#ance preparation and materials
1ood samples as on p. 1!.!1
3eans, peas, etc. should be placed to soak the day before the experiment.
2he white meat can be chicken or fish4 preser-ed do+fish meat will do.
3oil the e++ white with tap water to make a suspension4 1! cm
"
e++ white per 1!! cm
"
water
is sufficient. &llow 5 cm
"
per +roup.

$5 or 1!6 sodium hydroxide solution
1 6 copper sulphate solution
"pparatus-per group
small mortar and pestle 3unsen burner
test-tube rack and 6 test-tubes 6 labels or spirit marker
test-tube holder 6 watch-+lasses (for food samples
Experiment 11. Discussion $ answers
1 5eat and e++ white should +i-e a stron+ colour.
2 5ilk and beans should +i-e an indication of protein. &pple and onion should show little or no
protein reaction.
3 %ossibilities7
(a the sample contains no protein.
(b the sample does not contain enou+h protein to react.
(c it contains a protein which has not been extracted by the crushin+ in water.
8 2he sample could contain other classes of food in addition to protein.
$!cm
"
per +roup

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