Murexide test for uric acid – Its principle, reagents and procedure

Murexide test for uric acid is a specific test for the determination of uric acid in blood and urine. This test is mainly used in order to help diagnose gout.

Chemicals required:

• Concentrated HNO3
• Dilute Ammonia solution

Procedure:

• Take 8 drops of urine in a porcelain dish.
• Add 2 or 3 drops of concentrated HNO3 in it.
• Heat it in boiling water bath so that HNO3 and water evaporate leaving behind a reddish deposit.
• Add dilute ammonia solution to it.

Observation:

The colour of the residue turns reddish-violet indicating the presence of uric acid.

Precautions:

To obtain a better result, follow the below steps.

• Before starting the procedure, wash the apparatus before and after the experiment.
• As usual, carefully handle all the chemicals in the laboratory.
• Avoid urine touching with hands while doing the experiment.
• Use fork for holding test tube.
• The test tube used should be clean neatly and free of any dirt and chemicals because we will not get the proper result then, so try to use a clean and clear test tube for a correct result.

• Protein Biuret test – Its Principle, Reagents, Procedure etc
• Urease test for Urea – Its principle, reagents and procedure
• ARGININE TEST (Test for Guanidine Group) Its principle & procedure
• Millon’s test – Its Principle, Reagents, Procedure etc
• Test for creatinine by jaffe’s reaction – Its principle and procedure
• Heat Coagulation test for protein
• All Protein Precipitation tests with Proper Procedures