IC50: 20.9 μM (cholesterol)

DL-Melinamide inhibits acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase activity (ACAT) in the mucosal microsomes, with 50% inhibition occurring at approximately 0.5 μM. Kinetic studies indicate that DL-Melinamide is an uncompetitive inhibitor of acyl CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase. D-Melinamide is found to be a more effective inhibitor than L-Melinamide.

Melinamide is a new hypocholesterolaemic drug. Melinamide causes a substantial decrease of the enhanced intestinal ACAT activity in diabetic rats, but does not affect intestinal cholesterol esterase activity. Furthermore, marked improvement of hypercholesterolaemia in cholesterol-fed diabetic rats occurrs concomitantly with the drug treatment.