If you have been reading about Guanidinium group and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Last reviewed on 2026-05-24. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Manufacturing processes can leave trace amounts of dicyandiamide, creatinine, or residual solvents, depending on the synthetic route and purification steps. Heavy metals, arsenic, and microbial contamination are also monitored for food or pharmaceutical grades. Particle size distribution can affect dissolution behavior and blending uniformity, so it may be specified for certain applications. Analytical results are reported on a dry basis or as-is basis, and the difference matters when comparing certificates of analysis. Open questions remain about how minor impurities influence long-term stability under varied storage conditions.
Stability studies typically examine the effects of temperature, humidity, and light on creatine monohydrate. Sealed containers stored in cool, dry conditions help limit moisture uptake and hydrolysis. Elevated temperature and high relative humidity can accelerate conversion to creatinine, especially in aqueous solutions. In solid dosage forms, excipients and processing steps may also affect stability. Published stability data are not fully consistent across studies because test conditions and analytical methods vary.
Quality control of creatine monohydrate relies on a combination of identity, purity, and moisture tests. High-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection is widely used to separate creatine from creatinine and other related nitrogenous compounds. Spectroscopic methods such as infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance provide structural confirmation. Because the material is a hydrate, water content is measured separately, often by Karl Fischer titration. These tests together establish whether a lot meets a defined specification.
Creatine monohydrate is a crystalline organic compound formed from creatine and water in a one-to-one ratio. It belongs to the guanidino family and contains a methylated guanidine group attached to an acetate-like chain. The solid is commonly described as a white, odorless powder with a mildly bitter taste. Its molecular formula is C4H11N3O3·H2O, and the hydrated form is the most widely traded grade. The compound occurs naturally in vertebrate muscle and brain tissue, where it participates in rapid energy buffering.
In aqueous solution, creatine monohydrate exists mainly as a zwitterion, carrying both a positive guanidinium charge and a negative carboxylate charge. This charge separation raises water solubility relative to many neutral organic solids and helps explain its behavior in analytical separations. The monohydrate can lose its water of crystallization under sustained heat or low humidity, converting toward anhydrous creatine. Such transitions matter for mass balance calculations because the hydrate contributes water mass that is not part of the active creatine molecule.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assay method | HPLC with UV detection | Commonly used for content and purity |
| Water content | Karl Fischer titration | Measures total water including hydration |
| Identity test | FTIR or NMR spectroscopy | Confirms chemical structure |
| Common impurities | Dicyandiamide, creatinine | Process-related or degradation markers |
| Storage condition | Dry, sealed, 15–25 °C | Protect from moisture and heat |
=== Selection === The most common peptide aptamer selection system is the yeast two-hybrid system. Peptide aptamers can also be selected from combinatorial peptide libraries constructed by phage display and other surface display technologies such as mRNA display, ribosome display, bacterial display and yeast display. These experimental procedures are also known as biopanning. All the peptides panned from combinatorial peptide libraries have been stored in the MimoDB database.
=== Separation factors === The separation factor is one distribution ratio divided by another; it is a measure of the ability of the system to separate two solutes. For instance, if the distribution ratio for nickel (DNi) is 10 and the distribution ratio for silver (DAg) is 100, then the silver/nickel separation factor (SFAg/Ni) is equal to DAg/DNi = SFAg/Ni = 10.
In March 2017, infighting within the CJNG showed when Oseguera ordered the murder of high-ranking CJNG member Carlos Enrique Sánchez, alias "El Cholo". The plot to murder Sánchez, who was targeted by Oseguera after murdering a CJNG financial operator nicknamed "El Colombiano", failed. Sánchez and CJNG co-founder Érick Valencia Salazar, alias "El 85", departed from the CJNG and formed a new cartel called Nueva Plaza Cartel. Upon its formation, Sánchez was made leader of the newly formed cartel. According to InSight Crime, the Nueva Plaza Cartel retaliated against the failed murder of Sánchez by murdering the person in charge of the CJNG's hit squad, nicknamed "El Kartón" or "El Marro", in August 2017. CJNG co-founder Emilio Alejandro Pulido Salazar, alias "El Tiburón", would defect to the Nueva Plaza Cartel as well. Valencia and Sánchez also began a war with their former cartel as well. In 2019, Valencia and Sánchez were still reported to leaders of the breakaway Nueva Plaza Cartel. They also were still waging war against the CJNG and had even formed an alliance with the Sinaloa Cartel. By 2019, Jorge Luis Mendoza Cárdenas, alias "La Garra", was listed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as being in charge of the CJNG's trafficking operations to the United States and serves as the CJNG's liaison as well. In January 2020, senior CJNG hitwoman María Guadalupe López Esquive, alias "La Catrina" died following a shootout with police. López, also known as "Dame of Death", was suspected of being the CJNG leader in Mexico's Tierra Caliente region.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Coronaridine, also known as 18-carbomethoxyibogamine, is an alkaloid found in Tabernanthe iboga and related species, including Tabernaemontana divaricata for which (under the now obsolete synonym Ervatamia coronaria) it was named. Like ibogaine, (R)-coronaridine and (S)-coronaridine can decrease intake of cocaine and morphine in animals and it may have muscle relaxant and hypotensive activity.
== Intentional == Intentional weight loss is the loss of total body mass as a result of efforts to improve fitness and health, or to change appearance through slimming. Weight loss is the main treatment for obesity, and there is substantial evidence this can prevent progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes with a 7–10% weight loss and manage cardiometabolic health for diabetic people with a 5–15% weight loss. Weight loss in individuals who are overweight or obese can reduce health risks, increase fitness, and may delay the onset of diabetes. It could reduce pain and increase movement in people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Weight loss can lead to a reduction in hypertension (high blood pressure), however whether this reduces hypertension-related harm is unclear. Weight loss is achieved by adopting a lifestyle in which fewer calories are consumed than are expended. Depression, stress or boredom may contribute to unwanted weight gain or loss depending on the individual, and in these cases, individuals are advised to seek medical help. A 2010 study found that dieters who got a full night's sleep lost more than twice as much fat as sleep-deprived dieters. Though hypothesized that supplementation of vitamin D may help, studies do not support this. The majority of dieters regain weight over the long term. According to the UK National Health Service and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, those who achieve and manage a healthy weight do so most successfully by being careful to consume just enough calories to meet their needs, and being physically active.
== History == Belgian microbiologist Philibert Melchior Joseph Ehi Biourge was the first to describe P. rubens in 1923. The medicinal importance was discovered by Alexander Fleming, a physician at St Mary's Hospital, London. In September 1928, Fleming found that one of his bacterial cultures (of Staphylococcus aureus) was contaminated with mould, and that the area around the mould inhibited bacterial growth. He gave the name penicillin for the purported antibacterial substance produced by the mould. After a series of experimental tests, he published his discovery in the June 1929 issue of the British Journal of Experimental Pathology. With the help of his colleague Charles J. La Touche, Fleming identified the fungus as Penicillium rubrum. But Charles Thom at the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, Illinois, compared the specimen with his collection of Penicillium species, and corrected the species as P. notatum. In his publication in 1931, he resolved that P. notatum was a member of P. chrysogenum species complex, which he had described in 1910. P. notatum was described by Swedish chemist Richard Westling in 1911. Thom adopted and popularised the use of P. chrysogenum. After discovery of other new species and taxonomic reexamination, three species, P. notatum, P. meleagrinum, and P. cyaneofulvum were recognised as P. chrysogenum. The Seventeenth International Botanical Congress held in Vienna, Austria, in 2005 adopted the name P. chrysogenum as the conserved name (nomen conservandum).
==== Anabolic ==== Bone marrow stimulation: For decades, AAS were the mainstay of therapy for hypoplastic anemias due to leukemia, kidney failure or aplastic anemia. Growth stimulation: AAS can be used by pediatric endocrinologists to treat children with growth failure. However, the availability of recombinant growth hormone, which has fewer side effects, makes this a secondary treatment. Stimulation of appetite and preservation and increase of muscle mass: AAS have been given to people with chronic wasting conditions such as cancer and AIDS. Stimulation of lean body mass and prevention of bone loss in elderly men, as some studies indicate. However, a 2006 placebo-controlled trial of low-dose testosterone supplementation in elderly men with low levels of testosterone found no benefit on body composition, physical performance, insulin sensitivity, or quality of life. Prevention or treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Nandrolone decanoate is approved for this use. Although they have been indicated for this treatment, AAS saw little use for this purpose due to their virilizing side effects. Aiding weight gain following surgery or physical trauma, during chronic infection, or in the context of unexplained weight loss. Counteracting the catabolic effect of long-term corticosteroid therapy. Oxandrolone improves both short-term and long-term outcomes in people recovering from severe burns, and is well-established as a safe treatment for this indication. Treatment of idiopathic short stature, hereditary angioedema, alcoholic hepatitis, and hypogonadism.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Purity is commonly assessed by HPLC, which separates creatine from related compounds such as creatinine. Water content is measured separately by Karl Fischer titration. Together these results help calculate the actual creatine content in a sample.
Creatine monohydrate contains water as part of its crystal structure, so some water is expected. Excess moisture can promote clumping, hydrolysis, or microbial growth. Karl Fischer titration measures total water and helps distinguish expected hydration from residual moisture.
Dicyandiamide, creatinine, and related nitrogenous compounds are common markers. Their levels are controlled by manufacturing processes and product specifications. Heavy metals and microbial limits may also be tested depending on the intended grade.
In common usage, yes, but technically creatine monohydrate is one specific hydrated salt form. Other creatine forms exist and differ in composition and properties. The monohydrate is the most studied and most widely available grade.