Laboratory Practical: Determination of Total Sugar Content using the Phenol-Sulphuric Method

This video demonstrates the determination of total sugar content in ripe and unripe banana samples using the Phenol–Sulphuric Acid method. Total sugars are important components in fruits and play a significant role in determining their sweetness, ripening stage, and overall quality. During the ripening process, complex carbohydrates such as starch are converted into simpler sugars, resulting in an increase in total sugar content. Therefore, determining the total sugar content in banana samples is important for evaluating fruit maturity, quality, and nutritional value. The Phenol–Sulphuric Acid method is a widely recognised colorimetric method for the determination of total carbohydrates and sugars in food samples. The video highlights all the essential steps involved in the phenol–sulphuric acid method, including sample dilution, preparation of the glucose standard curve, reaction of sugars with phenol and sulphuric acid, and measurement of absorbance using a spectrophotometer. The total sugar content of the banana samples is then calculated using the standard calibration curve obtained from the glucose standards. ©2026 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All rights reserved.