3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid
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![Skeletal formula of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid](../../../upload/shared/thumb/c/cd/3%2C5-dinitrosalicylic-acid-2D-skeletal.png/200px-3%2C5-dinitrosalicylic-acid-2D-skeletal.png)
![Ball-and-stick model of 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid](../../../upload/shared/thumb/c/c4/3%2C5-dinitrosalicylic-acid-3D-balls.png/200px-3%2C5-dinitrosalicylic-acid-3D-balls.png)
3,5-Dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) is an aromatic compound that reacts with reducing sugars and other reducing molecules to form 3-amino-5-nitrosalicylic acid, which absorbs light strongly at 540 nm. It was first introduced as a method to detect reducing substances in urine and has since been widely used, for example, for quantificating carbohydrates levels in blood. It is mainly used in assay of alpha-amylase. However, enzymatic methods are usually preferred to DNS due to their specificity.
[edit] External links
- Description of lab use from the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland
- Links to external chemical sources