Mucic acid test is a selective test for which sugar?

Mucic acid test is a selective test for which sugar?

• A. Glucose
• B. Mannose
• C. Galactose
• D. Arabinose

Answer: (C)

The mucic acid test checks whether a sugar can be oxidized under strong conditions to produce mucic acid (galactaric acid). Galactose has the right structure to follow that oxidation pathway and form mucic acid, which then crystallizes and gives a visible positive result. Other sugars, like glucose, do not form mucic acid under the same conditions, so they give a negative result. That makes the test selective for galactose: a positive mucic acid reaction indicates galactose (or a galactose-derived sugar after hydrolysis).

The mucic acid test checks whether a sugar can be oxidized under strong conditions to produce mucic acid (galactaric acid). Galactose has the right structure to follow that oxidation pathway and form mucic acid, which then crystallizes and gives a visible positive result. Other sugars, like glucose, do not form mucic acid under the same conditions, so they give a negative result. That makes the test selective for galactose: a positive mucic acid reaction indicates galactose (or a galactose-derived sugar after hydrolysis).