=208. Determination of Reducing Bodies in Cane Juices.=—Sucrose in
cane juices is constantly accompanied with reducing sugars, or other
bodies which have a similar action on fehling liquor, which interfere
to a considerable degree with the practical manufacture of sugar. It is
important to determine with a moderate degree of accuracy the quantity
of these bodies. These sugars or reducing bodies are of a peculiar
nature. The author pointed out many years ago that these reducing
bodies were without action on polarized light, and for this reason
proposed the name anoptose as one characteristic of their nature.[175] It
is also found that these bodies do not yield theoretically the quantity
of alcohol which a true sugar of the hexose type would give.[176] It is
entirely probable, therefore, that they are quite different in their
nature from many of the commonly known sugars. On account of the
difficulty of separating these bodies in a pure state their actual
copper reducing power is not known. For practical purposes, however, it
is assumed to be the same as that of dextrose or invert sugar and the
percentage of these bodies present is calculated on that assumption.
In the determination of these sugars or reducing bodies, the quantity
weighed may be determined by an apparatus entirely similar to the
sucrose pipette just described above. The quantity of juice used should
be diluted as a rule to such a degree as not to contain more than one
per cent of the reducing bodies. For the best work, the juices should
be clarified with lead subacetate and the excess of lead removed with
sodium carbonate. For technical control work in sugar factories, this
process may be omitted as in such cases rapidity of work is a matter
of considerable importance and the approximate estimation of the total
quantity of reducing bodies is all that is desired.
For volumetric work, the solution of copper and the method of
manipulation described in paragraph =117= are most conveniently used.
=209. Preservation of Sugar Juices for Analysis.=—Lead subacetate not
only clarifies the juices of canes and thus permits of their more exact
analytical examination, but also exercises preservative effects which
enable it to be used as a preserving agent and thus greatly diminish
the amount of work necessary in the technical control of a sugar
factory. Instead, therefore, of the analyst being compelled to make an
examination of every sample of the juice, aliquot portions representing
the different quantities can be preserved and one analysis made for
all. This method has been thoroughly investigated by Edson, who also
finds that the errors, which may be introduced by the use of the lead
subacetate in the analytical work, may be entirely avoided by using the
normal lead acetate.[177]
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