The term "epiphanin reaction or test" refers to a chemical test used to identify the presence of epiphanin, a type of protein in certain plants. The word "epiphanin" is pronounced /ɛpɪˈfænɪn/, with the stress on the second syllable. The spelling of this word corresponds to the way it is pronounced, with "epi-" meaning "upon" or "over", and "-phanin" combining the Greek words "phainein" for "to show" and "phaino", meaning "to appear or shine". The epiphanin reaction or test is crucial in detecting the presence of this protein in various medical and scientific applications.
Epiphanin reaction, also known as the epiphanin test, is a chemical test used to detect the presence of phenols in a given substance or solution. Phenols are a class of organic compounds that contain a hydroxyl (-OH) group attached to an aromatic carbon ring. They are commonly found in natural sources such as plants and are often utilized in various industrial processes.
The epiphanin reaction is based on the ability of phenols to react with a reagent called epiphanin to produce a colored product. The epiphanin reagent is typically a solution of alkaline copper sulfate. When mixed with a sample containing phenols, a color change occurs, ranging from yellow to a deep purple or blue, depending on the concentration and nature of the phenols present.
This reaction occurs due to the chemical reaction between the phenolic group and the copper ions in the reagent. The resulting colored compound is formed through a process known as chelation, where the copper ions coordinate with the phenolic hydroxyl groups, leading to a visible color change.
The epiphanin test is widely used in various fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, and environmental science, as a qualitative method for identifying the presence of phenols in a sample. It is often employed as a preliminary screening test before further analysis or as a means to assess the pollution level in water bodies due to phenolic compounds, which can have detrimental effects on the environment and human health.
For the serodiagnosis of syphilis; 0.1 c.c. of an alcoholic extract of syphilitic fetal liver is mixed with an equal quantity of a 10 % solution of the suspected serum in physiological salt solution, and to the mixture are added 1 c.c. of decinormal sulphuric acid and an equal amount of an equivalent solution of barium hydroxide; this mixture will turn red on the addition of a drop of phenolphthalein solution if the serum is from a syphilitic person.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.