Estimation of diffusion coefficients in biomembranes

In this paper, the determination of diffusion coefficients in plant biomemb ranes for the nonstationary diffusion state is discussed. If is suggested t hat any point in the heterogeneous structures may be considered to be in Do nnan equilibrium with a given external salt concentration. For this purpose , the non-stationary-state nonlinear differential equation for the salt con centration profile is solved numerically, which could be used to determine the diffusion coefficients of biomembranes from experimental concentration values in the receiver phase as a function of time. Quantitative relations were obtained which describe the time-dependent concentration changes of a membrane system with equilibrium distribution. (C) 2000 Academic Press.