An examination of the drug transport properties of liquid crystal embeddedmembranes

Cellulose nitrate membranes were embedded with two different commercially a vailable liquid crystals and the transport of a model drug through the memb ranes was examined spectrophotometrically. It was found that upon changing the temperature of the system, membranes without liquid crystal showed no t emperature dependent drug transport properties. Membranes embedded with liq uid crystal however, showed a distinct temperature variation in the drug re lease. It was found that the rate of drug transport was dependent on the am ount of liquid crystal deposited on the membrane and by cycling the tempera ture of the system, pulsatile drug release could be achieved.