Talk:Voges–Proskauer test

Question that alpha-naphthol reacts
According to the Textbook of Bacteriology (1941) by Jordan and Burrows, 13th edition, page 341, and other sources, the red color will appear as long as the acetylmethylcarbinol (acetoin) is present along with Oxygen and peptones. When the test was first developed there had been a long running mystery as to what was reacting to make the red color. My guess is that the alpha-naphthol is just acting as a solvent to concentrate the colored product since it is not needed to form the color. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.78.42.204 (talk) 18:46, 22 February 2018 (UTC)