Sulfonylureas: Physico-chemical Properties, Analytical Methods of Determination and Bioavailability

Oral antidiabetic drugs are widely used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and are effective in controlling blood glucose levels. These drugs are of several distinct types with different modes of action and include sulfonylureas, biguanides and α-glucosidase inhibitors. The sulfonylurea antidiabetic drugs include acetohexamide, acetylcarbutamide, carboxytolbutamide, carbutamide, chlorpropamide, glibenclamide, glibornuride, gliclazide, glimepiride, glipizide, gliquidone, glisoxepide, metahexamide, tolazamide and tolbutamide. The structural formulas of some of the important antidiabetic agents are given in Fig. 1.