The formation of 2-hydroxymethylquinoline and quinaldine in greyhound urine.

2-Hydroxymethylquinoline and quinaldine are found in nonfresh greyhound urine as putrefactive bases. Their production as a function of time was investigated. This is affected by preservatives or refrigeration. 2-Hydroxymethylquinoline forms in greyhound urine, if non-preserved, in three or four days at room temperature while quinaldine takes as much as 10 days longer to form. Production of 2-hydroxymethylquinoline or quinaldine is not arrested but merely retarded by preservation or refrigeration. Sodium fluoride is one of the more effective preservatives. A method for the measurement of quinaldine and 2-hydroxymethylquinoline using gas chromatography is described. The columns used are Carbowax 6000 + potassium hydroxide on Chromosorb G and SE-30 on Chromosorb W.