N-dodecylimidazole, an acid activated detergent with a pKa of 6.3, has been shown to be cytotoxic to cells in culture. N-dodecylimidazole displayed extracellular pH (pHe)-dependent cytotoxicity against EMT-6 and MGH U1 cells. cell killing was dose dependent and was 100-fold greater at pHe 6.0 than pHe 7.0.

The hypocholesterolaemic activity of 1-dodecylimidazole results in part from the inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis at the level of 2,3-oxidosqualene sterol cyclase.
1-dodecylimidazole (150 mg/kg body wt; by stomach tube; daily for 10 days) has lower serum cholesterol concentrations than control rats.