Stability and drug release properties of liposomes containing cytarabine as a drug carrier

Liposomes were studied as a drug delivery system. Multilamellar vesicles, small unilamellar vesicles and large unilamellar vesicles containing cytarabine were prepared using egg yolk lecithin and cholesterol. Large unilamellar vesicles showed the highest encapsulation efficiency of all and their encapsulation efficiency increased as the buffer volume decreased. Cholesterol increased the stability of liposomal drug products as drug carriers and reduced the permeability of drug across the liposomal membrane. The release rate of cytarabine increased with incubation temperature and decreased with cholesterol incorporation in liposomal membrane. The release mechanism of cytarabine from large unilamellar vesicles in vitro was chiefly due to simple diffusion across the liposomal membrane rather than liposomal rupture.