The common disaccharides lactose and maltose are directly detected by Benedict's reagent because each contains a glucose with a free reducing aldehyde moiety after isomerization. ... Sucrose is thus a non-reducing sugar which does not react with Benedict's reagent.

Which sugars react with Benedict's reagent?

These include starch, cellulose, and glycogen. One test for the presence of many simple carbohydrates is to use Benedict's reagent. It turns from turquoise to yellow or orange when it reacts with reducing sugars. These are simple carbohydrates with unbound aldehyde or ketone groups.

Is maltose a reducing sugar?

Maltose undergoes mutarotation at its hemiacetal anomeric center. Recall that the process occurs via an open-chain structure containing an aldehyde. The free aldehyde formed by ring opening can react with Fehling's solution, so maltose is a reducing sugar.