Rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for the determination of metformin in human plasma and breast milk

A rapid and simple high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay for the determination of metformin in human plasma and breast milk is described. After proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile, metformin and the internal standard buformin were resolved on a cation-exchange column and detected by UV detection at 236 nm. Standard curves were linear over the concentration range 20.0–4000 μg/l. Intra- and inter-day coefficients of variation were <9.0% and the limit of quantification was around 20 μg/l.