Sulfite water (potassium disulfite-hydrochloric acid mixture) is an efficient laboratory reagent, which is especially used in medical and histological diagnostics. The single solution is composed of potassium disulfite and hydrochloric acid in aqueous solution.

The uses and suitability of sulfite water mainly include the reduction of disulfide bonds in proteins and enzymes as well as the denaturation of DNA and RNA. This enables targeted analysis and investigation of preparations from biological samples.

The chemical properties of sulfite water, especially the reduction potential of potassium disulfite and the proton donor properties of hydrochloric acid, lead to a controlled reaction with the molecular groups of the target substances. This causes a specific change in the chemical and structural properties of proteins and nucleic acids.

Possible application results may include, for example, the identification of sulfur-containing amino acids in proteins, the determination of protein structures, the analysis of disulfide bridges in enzymes, or the study of RNA/DNA formation processes. All this contributes to gaining knowledge in medical and histological diagnostics.