Cellulose triacetate (CTA) membranes were prepared using polyethylene glycol, 600 g mol(-1), (PEG) as additive and were utilized in essays of doxycycline (DOX) incorporation using two different procedures: (i) incorporation of the drug during the membrane preparation and (ii) incorporation of the drug to a previously prepared membrane. In the first, the produced membrane presented high compatibility between DOX and CTA, what was evidenced by analyzing the DSC curve for a CTA/PEG 50%/DOX system. Results showed that the drug is homogeneously distributed throughout the matrix, molecularly. in the second method, the drug was molecularly and superficially adsorbed, as seen through the DSC curve for the system CTA/PEG 10%/DOX, which nearly does not present alterations in relation to the original material, and through the isotherm of drug adsorption that follows the Langmuir model. Results showed that the membranes produced from sugarcane bagasse are adequate to produce matrices for drug-controlled release, both for enteric use (Method (i)) and topic use (Method (ii)). (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 113: 3544-3549, 2009