Gas chromatographic determination of buformin in body fluids and tissues, using a nitrogen phosphorus detector: application to a postmortem case.

A specific method is described for the quantitation of the oral hypoglycemic biguanide buformin in biological material by gas chromatography. Phenformin, another biguanide derivative, is used as internal standard. Both compounds are converted to the corresponding s-triazine derivatives by reacting with acetic anhydride prior to gas chromatography with nitrogen-specific detection. The described procedure has been applied to the quantitative assay of buformin in body fluids and tissues, obtained from a postmortem case. The results of these toxicological investigations are discussed.