A colorimetric estimation of sugars using benzidine

Many colorimetric methods using organic reagents are available for the estimation of sugars, a number of which have been utilized in conjunction with chromatography. For example, a method using aniline phthalate has been described (Blass, Macheboeuf & Nuinez, 1950; Bartlett, Hough & Jones, 1951). This method, however, consists of several stages, which is a disadvantage. Methods using concentrated mineral acids are to be avoided if possible, in order to simplify practical procedure, and for this reason the method described by Dubois, Gilles, Hamilton, Rebers & Smith (1951), using a phenol-sulphuric acid reagent, was con- sidered unsuitable for routine analysis.