Guanidine derivatives in medicine and agriculture

Data on the derivatives of guanidine on the basis of the analysis of domestic and foreign literature are presented and systematizedin the article. A brief description of this group of chemicals is given. Guanidine is obtained from urea, thiourea, ammonium thiocyanate and ortho-carbonic acid derivatives in various ways. Such guanidine derivatives as arginine, creatinine are of great biological value for the animal and human organisms. Guanidine derivatives are widely used as antiseptics, insecticides, drugs, preservatives etc. Polyguanidines, polyhexamethyleneguanidine (PGMG), in particular, are used as disinfectants of prolonged action. Scientific literature gives little data on the toxicity of these compounds. Parameters of safety of some drugs are reported. Guanidine hydrochloride belongs to the second class of danger. It is also known that polyguanidines have less toxicity in comparison with guanidine and belong to the third class of danger. It is known that many substances from this group, which have pronounced toxic properties, can be used for medicinal purposes in low concentrations. For example, tetrodotoxin, one of the strongest non-protein poisons, with a semi-lethal dose for rats of about 10 mg/kg, has an analgesic effect in small doses. In 2013, a clinical trial was conducted of a tetrodotoxin-based drug used to alleviate the condition of chemotherapy patients suffering from severe neuropathic pain. The widespread use of guanidine derivatives and the available information on their potential hazard indicate the need for further studies of this group of chemical compounds.