A model based on the fractal methodology is proposed for the kinetic s
tudy of carrier-mediated transport under heterogeneous conditions, i.e
., when the drug-carrier interaction occurs at an interface with an ef
fective dimensionality smaller than the embedding dimension of d = 2.
A model equation is derived for the flux, based on a similar approach
for an analogous equation for enzyme kinetics. It is shown that the to
tal flux-solute concentration plots are curvilinear when the fractal d
imension is smaller than unity while they become biexponential, with a
scending and descending limbs, when the fractal dimension D is in the
range 1 < D < 2. Nonlinear Lineweaver-Burk plots are obtained when thi
s fractal kinetics approach is used. Good fittings are obtained when t
he fractal model is applied to literature data previously analysed wit
h a combined transport mechanism, revealing experimental systems that
display a D value in the range 1 < D < 2. It is suggested that transpo
rt studies should be carried out at a wider working solute concentrati
on range and various agitation and incubation conditions in order to d
erive definite conclusions for the transport pathways.