ChemLab204: General and Inorganic Chemistry

61 _
Laboratory Report

Group No.

Date Submitted: ______03/08/16____

Date

Analysis of Saliva
Activity No. 13

Candace F. Balbin
ID No. 150026; BSN-I
ChemLab204A; 2nd Semester, SY 2015-16

RATIONALE:
In Analysis of Saliva laboratory experiment, The saliva is used to determine
important components or its characteristics. One good example is the mucin. Mucin is a
glycoprotein which can be precipitated by acetic acid at around pH 4.5. Its function is to
provice protection in oral activity. The aim of this experiment is to test if there is a
presence of amylase, Carbohydrates, Proteins, Calcium, Inorganic Phosphate and
Chloride by the use of the following test that is indicated.
The importance of this experiment is to apply the techniques that are being used
in real life. This experiment is used in real life to determine whether there our unusual
diseases that are migrated into the body. Saliva is a great help in the digestion of food.
that is the reason as to why it is a need to analyze its components and its contribution to
our health and body. This experiment is very helpful especially in medical use in the
hospital and other areas. Laboratory techniques should be applied to avoid any errors in
the lab experiment.

DATA:
Substances tested for
Amylase

Test Reagents
0.1M phosphate buffer,
0.1M NaCl

Results
Blue color fades after 2
mins and 22 seconds

DATA INTERPRETATION (Test for amylase) :

Starchy substances constitute the major part of the human diet for most of the people in
the world and also the animals. They are synthesized in a variety of plants. All of the
plants with high starch content are part of what humans consume to derive
carbohydrates. Starch molecules are glucose polymers that is linked together by the
alpha- 1,4 and alpha- 16 glucosidic bonds, as opposed to the beta-1,4 glucosodic bonds for
cellulose. To make use of the carbon and the energy that is stored in starch the digestive
system and the help of the enzyme amylase, it will first break down the polymer to
smaller sugars which is eventually converted to basic glucose units. The alpha amylase is
a digestive enzyme that hydrolyses alpha-1,4 bonds of large polysaccharides such as
starch and glycogen yielding the smaller by-products of glucose monomer.

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Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

Chemical Equation:

Data:
Substances tested for

Test Reagents

Results

Isolation of mucin from

saliva
A. Carbohydrate

NaOH, Benedicts solution

------

heat

DATA INTERPRETATION:
Due to lack of time, the group was not able to perform the test for carbohydrate
but a theoretical explanation may be given as a substitute for this loss. The
Benedicts test is a test for reducing sugars. In this test the alkaline medium that is
present favors the oxidation of the carbonyl group into carboxylic acid. Cu2+ is
further reduced to Cu2O which results to a brick-red precipitate. The solution will
the turn to orange, yellow, red, or green, this is for the increasing amount of
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

sugar. A negative result for carbohydrate will be determined if the solution

remained blue.
Chemical Equation:

DATA:
Substances tested for

Test Reagents

Results

Isolation of mucin from

saliva
A Proteins

NaOH, CuSO4

------

DATA INTERPRETATION:
Due to lack of time, the group was not able to perform the test for carbohydrate
but a theoretical explanation may be given as a substitute for this loss. The Biuret
Test is used to detect the presence of peptide bond of proteins. There are
compounds that contains two or more peptide linkages and this gives a
characteristic of a purple color with dilute copper sulfate solution in the alkaline
medium. This is because of the coordination of the cupric ions with the lone pairs
of the amide nitrogen and the oxygen of water. If in the experiment it yielded a
violet solution, the obtained solution contains peptide bonds.

Chemical Equation:

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

DATA INTERPRETATION (Test for Calcium):

A reaction was evident after pouring the acetic acid into the solution. The previously
slightly clear solution turns white. Then small granules of precipitate were observed
after the potassium oxalate was also added. Only a limited amount of precipitate was
collected. A faint white precipitate was formed. Calcium ions are precipitated as calcium
oxalate under neutral or acidic conditions.

Chemical Equation:

Data:
Substances tested for
Inorganic Phosphate

Test Reagents
Ammonium molybdate

Results
White precipitate

DATA INTERPRETATION (Test for Inorganic Phosphate):

In this experiment which is the test for Inorganic Phosphate, results were obtained that
there is a clear white precipitate that indicates the positive result for the test in Inorganic
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

Phosphate.
Inorganic phosphate combined with ammonium molybdate to form ammonium phosphomolybdate. The
precipitate ammonium phosphomolybdate is the inorganic salt of phosphomolybdic acid. It contains the
remarkable phosphomolybdate ion complex.
Chemical Equation:

Data:
Substances tested for

Chloride

Test Reagents

Results

HNO3, AgNO3

White precipitate

Data Interpretation:
In this experiment, when the solution of the silver nitrate was added to a solution
that contains chloride ions and nitric acid, a white precipitate of silver chloride
formed. The nitric acid is used to make the solution acidic. This acidic solution is
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Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

needed to keep the silver phosphate from precipitating if PO 43- is present. And
also a basic solution may result in AgOH and Ag 2O that is being formed. All of
these precipitates would interfere the formation of AgCl that is being observed.
Chemical Equation:

Ag+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)

AgCl (s)
(white precipitate)

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:
1. What is the purpose of each of the components of saliva?
Answer:
Components of saliva:
1. Water - it is the primary component of saliva and it includes in moistening
the food, and is helping to create a food bolus (small, round mass of food
that is formed when a piece of food is chewed) so it can be swallowed
easily.
2. Enzymes like:
Amylase (ptyalin) it is secreted by the acinar cells of the parotid
and submandibular glands. Its role is to start the digestion of starch
before the food is swallowed.

Lingual lipase- it is also secreted by the acinar cells of the sublingual

gland it is not activated until it enters the acidic environment of the
stomach.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

Kallirein- it is an enzyme that proteolytically splits high molecularweight kininogen to produce bradykinin ( a vasoidator). It is also
secreted by the acinar cells.

Antimicrobial enzymes- they are necessary for bacteria-killing.

Lysozyme
Salivary lactoperoxidase
Lactoferrin
Immunoglobulin
3. Opiorphin- which is a pain-killing substance that is found in the saliva
4. Haptocorrin- a kind of protein that binds to Vitamin B12 to protect it
against degradation in the stomach.
5. Mucus- they flow out of the acinus to collect ducts.

2. How does each help in the digestion of food?

Answer:
Water is the main component of saliva. It helps in moistening the food and thus
creating a food bolus for easy digestion of food.
Some enzymes breaks some of the starches down into maltose and dextrin that is
why digestion occurs within the mouth, even before food reaches the stomach.
3. Does digestion already happen in the mouth? If so, what type of digestion?
Answer:
Yes, digestion already occurs in the mouth there are two types of digestion:
Mechanical digestion is a type of digestion that physically breaks the food into
smaller pieces. This digestion begins in the mouth when the food is chewed.
Another type of digestion is the Chemical digestion it breaks down the food into
simpler nutrients that is used by the cells. This digestion also begins in the mouth
when the food is mixed with saliva.
4. What impairment will a person experience without salivary glands?
Answer:
Dysgeusia (parageusia) is a distortion of the sense of taste. It is often associated
with ageusia ( a complete lack of taste) and hypogeusia ( decrease in taste
sensitivity).
.

5. Cite three salivary gland disorders and the corresponding medical treatment.
Answer:
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Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

Salivary stones (sialoliths). It is the most common cause of swollen salivary

glands. These stones are buildups of crystallized saliva deposits. These stones can
sometimes block the flow of saliva. When saliva cant exit through the ducts, it
backs up into the gland thus causing pain and swelling. Stones that are large
might need to be surgically removed. Doctors might suggest to use shock waves to
break them into smaller pieces. This is called extracorporeal shock wave
lithotripsy (ESWL).
Salivary gland infection (sialadenitis). This bacterial infection of the salivary
gland most common the parotid gland can result when the duct into the mouth is
blocked. This infection creates a painful lump in the gland, and a foul tasting pus
that is draining into the mouth. In chronic sialadenitis are managed with
conservative therapies such as hydration, analgesics, sialogogues to stimulate
salivary secretion, and regular gentle gland massage.
Sjogrens syndrome. This is a chronic autoimmune disease in which cells of a
persons immune system attacks the salivary and other moisture-producing
glands, leading to dry mouth and eyes. There is no cure for this type of syndrome,
however moderate cases can be successfully treated with eye drops containing
artificial tears ( a liquid that mimics tears).

CONCLUSION:
These particular tests for the different components of the saliva which gave a positive
result in all test generally indicates that these components are always present in the
saliva lie the amylase which in the experiment gives a black blue color, without the
presence of it, starch in the food eat will never be break down because starch is
necessary to break them down into glucose monomer by amylase through hydrolyzing
the 1,4 glycosidic bonds of starch to form glucose monomer. Positive results are in the
form of white precipitate for the test in Inorganic Phosphate, white precipitate for the
test in chloride, and faint white precipitate which indicates that there are the presence of
mucins in the saliva for the test in calcium. In general, Analysis on saliva is necessary to
determine what substances are preset in saliva.

REFERENCES:
1. Wikipedia. (2016). Saliva. on March 04, 2016.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saliva
2. CyberSurgeons. (1999). The digestive system. Retrieved on March 04, 2016.
http://www.e-missions.net/cybersurgeons/?/dig_teacher/
3. EUFIC. (2010). Saliva-more than just water in your mouth. Retrieved on March
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Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University

04,2016. http://www.eufic.org/article/en/artid/Saliva-more-than-just-water-inyour-mouth/
4. WebMD. (2005). Salivary gland problems. Retrieved on March 04, 2016.
http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/salivary-gland-problems-infectionsswelling
5. Ouellette, R. (1984). Introduction to general, organic, and biological chemistry.
Macmillan publishing company.
6. Shankara, S. YM. (2008). Laboratory manual for practical biochemistry. Jaypee
brothers medical publishers.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Natural Sciences Department, College of Science and Information Technology, Ateneo de Zamboanga
University