Utvrđeno je da dFBr deluje kao pozitivni alosterni modulator neuronskog nikotinskog acetilholinskog receptora sa podtipnom specifičnošću za heteromerni receptor i bez uticaja na homomerne podtipove.[5] Jedna nedavno objavljena studija je opisala sintezu u vodi rastvornih soli dFBr i potvrdila da one deluju kao selektivni potencijatori α4β2nikotinskog acetilholinskog receptora koristeći dvoelektrodni metod.[6] Poznato je da je dFBr citotoksičan na HCT-116 ćelijama ljudskog raka debelog creva.[7]
↑Evan E. Bolton, Yanli Wang, Paul A. Thiessen, Stephen H. Bryant (2008). „Chapter 12 PubChem: Integrated Platform of Small Molecules and Biological Activities”. Annual Reports in Computational Chemistry4: 217-241. DOI:10.1016/S1574-1400(08)00012-1.
↑Peters, Lars; Wright, Anthony D.; Kehraus, Stefan; Gündisch, Daniela; Tilotta, M. C.; König, Gabriele M. (October 2004). „Prenylated indole alkaloids from Flustra foliacea with subtype specific binding on NAChRs”. Planta Med.70 (10): 883–6. DOI:10.1055/s-2004-832610. PMID15490312.
↑Sala, Francisco; Mulet, José; Reddy, Krishna P.; Bernal, José Antonio; Wikman, Philip; Valor, Luis Miguel; Peters, Lars; König, Gabriele M. i dr.. (January 2005). „Potentiation of human alpha4beta2 neuronal nicotinic receptors by a Flustra foliacea metabolite”. Neurosci. Lett.373 (2): 144–9. DOI:10.1016/j.neulet.2004.10.002. PMID15567570.
↑Kim, Jin-Sung; Padnya, Anshul; Weltzin, Maegan; Edmonds, Brian W.; Schulte, Marvin K.; Glennon, Richard A. (Sep 2007). „Synthesis of desformylflustrabromine and its evaluation as an alpha4beta2 and alpha7 nACh receptor modulator”. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters17 (17): 4855–60. DOI:10.1016/j.bmcl.2007.06.047. PMID17604168.
↑Lysek, N; Rachor, E; Lindel, T (2002). „Isolation and structure elucidation of deformylflustrabromine from the North Sea bryozoan Flustra foliacea”. Z. Naturforsch., C, J. Biosci.57 (11–12): 1056–61. PMID12562094.