The present invention relates to liquid membrane capsules which rupture when contacted with biliary or pancreatic secretions in the intestine thereby releasing their contents in the intestine so the contents become fully available for the treatment of disease at that location in the animal or patient. Particularly, the rupturable liquid membrane capsules containing urease are used for the treatment of chronic uremia. The liquid membrane capsules comprise an internal aqueous phase which contains an oil insoluble medicinal of choice, some complexing agent, dietary supplement or enzyme particularly suited for the intended treatment. This internal aqueous and oil insoluble phase is encapsulated in a nonaqueous external phase comprising a biologically inert oil component, and a material which will complex with the biliary and/or pancreatic secretions in the intestine thereby causing the rupture of the external phase resulting in the release of the internal phase in the intestine. Thus, the internal phase is isolated during passage through the mouth, esophagus, and stomach. On the absence of this isolation the material might be an irritant or be degraded in some of these areas. The invention is further related to a method of in vivo detoxification comprising the use of liquid membrane capsules containing detoxification materials such as medicinals and/or enzymes as an aqueous internal phase encapsulated in a continuous external phase comprising an oil which external phase further contains an additive which complexes with the biliary and/or pancreatic secretions in the intestine causing the rupture of the external phase, the detoxification process proceeding by the rupture of the external phase resulting in the release of the internal phase in the intestine. The internal phase in this case is such that it will bring about a conversion of certain toxins in the intestine to forms that can readily be trapped by conventional toxin trapping LMC as described by prior art.

Phospholipid liposomes are provided having an outer layer including a cholesterol derivative such as a cholesterol ester and an aqueous medium confined by the layer which includes a tracer agent, a cytoxic agent or a therapeutic agent. The liposomes are adapted for specific organ targeting.

The disclosure is of the use of plant nutriments encapsulated in synthetic lipid vesicles to nourish plants. SP CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a Continuation-in-Part of our copending application Ser. No. 881,116 filed Feb. 24, 1978 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,871.

The extemperaneous preparation of liposomes incorporating englobed therapeutically active substances is effected by introducing an aspirated phopholipid emulsion into a container containing the active substance as a dry powder or lyophilate.

Associates of at least one amphiphilic bilayer-forming substance and a solubilizing agent are formed in an aqueous phase. The bilayer-forming substance itself can be a pharmaceutical substance, or pharmaceutical substances and/or pharmaceutical auxiliaries may be added. The equilibrium conditions for the molar ratio of bilayer-forming substance to solubilizing agent in the associates are then changed in the aqueous phase containing the associates, in order to remove solubilizing agent from the associates, so that the associates combine to form liposomes. In particular, the solubilizing agent concentration in the aqueous phase is reduced, for example by dilution with additional aqueous phase. The change is effected at a rate which is sufficiently high for formation of liposomes having a predefined number of double layers. Furthermore, the rate of change in the aqueous phase is kept virtually constant with respect to location and time. The liposomes thereby achieve a predefined, virtually homogeneous size.