Trommer's Test

TROMMER'S TEST (Trommer), used for detecting sugars in biological fluids, is based on the ability of sugars to reduce copper hydrate in an alkaline medium upon heating to copper hydrate or copper oxide (see Urine). For a correct result with Trommer's test, it is necessary to add the proper amount of CuSO₄ and NaOH: if an insufficient amount of CuSO₄ solution is added, the liquid turns brown (Moore's test); if too much is added, the copper hydrate turns into black copper oxide, which obscures the reaction. Trommer's test is given by all monosaccharides (glucose more intensely than fructose and galactose), disaccharides built on the monoglucoside type, and many other reducing substances. Trommer's test is also the basis of the quantitative method for determining sugars by Fehling (see Urine).