Glucose reaction with mercury chloride

There are various methods used to quantify the total starch content in foods. In most of these assays, the starch is first gelatinized and then enzymatically hydrolyzed into glucose that is colorimetrically assayed after reaction with glucose oxidase, peroxidase, and dihydrochloride o-dianasidine. Starch can also be quantified by the polarimetric AACC (2000) method 76-20. Basically, the starch is first solubilized in an alkaline solution (mercury chloride and ethanol) that is treated with calcium chloride acidified with acetic acid and further treated with stanium chloride. The filtrated sample is polarimetrically analyzed with a sodium light beam. 

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