A class of oral hypoglycemic drugs used for diabetes mellitus or prediabetes treatment. They have a structure based on the 2-carbamimidoylguanidine skeleton.
| Member | Definition | Role |
|---|
| 1-(3-chlorophenyl)biguanide | | m-Chlorophenylbiguanide |
| alexidine | An amphipathic bisbiguanide with a structure consisting of two (2-ethylhexyl)guanide units linked by a hexamethylene bridge. | alexidine |
| buformin | A member of the class of biguanides that is biguanide substituted by a butyl group at position 1. It is an antidiabetic drug with potential antitumor effect. | buformin |
| chlorhexidine | A bisbiguanide compound with a structure consisting of two (p-chlorophenyl)guanide units linked by a hexamethylene bridge. | chlorhexidine |
| chlorhexidine | A bisbiguanide compound with a structure consisting of two (p-chlorophenyl)guanide units linked by a hexamethylene bridge. | chlorhexidine |
| moroxydine | | N-(diaminomethylidene)-4-morpholinecarboximidamide |
| phenformin | A member of the class of biguanides that is biguanide in which one of the terminal nitrogen atoms is substituted by a 2-phenylethyl group. It was used as an anti-diabetic drug but was later withdrawn from the market due to potential risk of lactic acidosis. | phenformin |
| proguanil | A biguanide compound which has isopropyl and p-chlorophenyl substituents on the terminal N atoms. A prophylactic antimalarial drug, it works by inhibiting the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, which is involved in the reproduction of the malaria parasites Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax within the red blood cells. | proguanil |