Ingredient 1 of 3
L-Citrulline DL-Malate in Melonex: At Most 500 mg a Capsule
L-citrulline DL-malate is the first of three lines in the Melonex 500 mg blend, so one capsule holds at most 500 mg of it. Citrulline malate is about 57% citrulline by weight if the usual ratio applies. Blood-pressure trials of L-citrulline used 3-9 g a day. No trial has tested Melonex.
Written by the Melonex numbers deskUpdated
01What it is
What is L-citrulline DL-malate?
L-citrulline DL-malate, also called citrulline malate, is the amino acid L-citrulline bound to malate.
Malate is a Krebs-cycle compound, a step in how cells make energy (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). The body can turn citrulline into arginine. The label lists the pair as one line, first in the blend.
First place has a meaning. Blends list ingredients by descending weight (21 CFR 101.36 (proprietary blends)), so this line weighs at least as much as each of the other two. The ceiling is the whole blend: 500 mg.
| Name on the label | L-Citrulline DL-Malate |
|---|---|
| What it is | The amino acid L-citrulline bound to malate (a Krebs-cycle compound) |
| Place on the label | 1st of 3 in the 500 mg proprietary blend |
| Most per capsule | 500 mg (ceiling; real amount not printed) |
| At 2 capsules | at most 1,000 mg |
| Amount used in research | 3-9 g a day of L-citrulline in blood-pressure trials |
| What research found | Small systolic drop (about 4 mm Hg) in 8 small trials at gram doses |
| Main caution | May add to blood-pressure medicines, nitrates and erectile-dysfunction drugs; upset stomach. |
02How much
How much citrulline malate is in one Melonex capsule?
At most 500 mg of the salt per capsule, and 1,000 mg at the two-capsule maximum. The real amount is not printed.
An even split of the blend gives about 167 mg. Because this line must weigh at least as much as either arginine line, it holds at least 167 mg too. So the range is roughly 167 to 500 mg of the salt.
| 1 capsule | 2 capsules | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest it can be | 167 | 333 |
| Highest it can be | 500 | 1,000 |
NIH says citrulline malate is about 57% citrulline (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). Melonex prints no ratio. If it follows that figure, a full 500 mg of the salt carries about 285 mg of citrulline.
03The research
Does L-citrulline affect blood pressure?
In 8 small trials, L-citrulline at 3-9 g a day was linked to a systolic reading about 4 mm Hg lower.
The trials had 12 to 34 people each. The diastolic drop was small overall and only clear at 6 g a day or more, about 2.75 mm Hg (Avicenna J Phytomed 2019, L-citrulline and BP meta-analysis). WebMD adds that the effect is small and may not matter in practice (WebMD, L-citrulline).
Now the capsule. At 500 mg, one capsule is 17% of the lowest studied dose. At two capsules it is 33%, and only if the whole blend were citrulline malate, which the order does not allow. No trial tested Melonex, so none of these results is a Melonex result.
L-citrulline DL-malate
≤500 mgplace 1 of 3One capsule's ceiling is 17% of the low end of the studied dose. (Avicenna J Phytomed 2019, L-citrulline and BP meta-analysis)
Both arginine lines together
≤333 mglines 2 and 3 togetherOne capsule's ceiling is 8% of the low end of the studied dose. (Am Heart J 2011, L-arginine and BP meta-analysis)
L-arginine AKG
≤250 mgplace 2 of 3One capsule's ceiling is 8% of the low end of the studied dose. (J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2012, AAKG)
Coral bars: the most one capsule (and the 2-capsule label maximum) can hold, from the label order (21 CFR 101.36 (proprietary blends)). Real amounts are not printed and are likely lower. Teal bars: daily amounts used in studies; the pale extension shows a range. The weights on the label include the malate, alpha-ketoglutarate and HCl parts, so the pure amino acid is less again.
04Safety
What are the side effects and interactions of citrulline?
The most common side effect is an upset stomach. Citrulline can also add to blood-pressure drugs, nitrates and erectile-dysfunction drugs.
- Upset stomach: 6 of 41 weightlifters reported it after 8 g of citrulline malate (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise)
- Blood-pressure medicines, nitrates and PDE-5 drugs such as sildenafil: pressure may fall too low (WebMD, L-citrulline) (MedlinePlus, Sildenafil)
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding effects are not known (WebMD, L-citrulline)
Show the bottle to your pharmacist if you take any of these. Keep taking prescribed medicine as directed. Dizzy or faint after a new supplement? Sit down and call your doctor.
05Keep going
Where does this line fit in the whole formula?
It is line 1 of 3. The other two are L-arginine forms, covered on their own pages.
See L-arginine AKG and L-arginine HCl. Prices start at $49 a bottle on the 6-pack in the seller's brief. Order Melonex
06FAQ
Citrulline questions
What is citrulline malate?
Citrulline malate is L-citrulline bound to malate, a Krebs-cycle compound. NIH puts it at about 57% citrulline by weight (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). Melonex lists it as L-citrulline DL-malate, the first line of its 500 mg blend.
Does L-citrulline lower blood pressure?
In 8 small trials, 3-9 g a day was linked to a systolic reading about 4 mm Hg lower (Avicenna J Phytomed 2019, L-citrulline and BP meta-analysis). That is grams a day. One Melonex capsule holds at most 500 mg of the salt, and no trial tested Melonex.
How much L-citrulline DL-malate is in Melonex?
At most 500 mg per capsule, and at least about 167 mg, based on its first place in the blend. The exact amount is not printed. At two capsules, double both figures.
Is L-citrulline DL-malate the same as L-citrulline?
Not quite. The malate part adds weight, so a gram of the salt holds less than a gram of citrulline, about 57% if the usual ratio applies (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). DL-malate on the label names the malate form.
Can I take citrulline with sildenafil or nitrates?
Ask a doctor or pharmacist first. Citrulline can interact with nitrates and PDE-5 drugs, and MedlinePlus says sildenafil should not be taken with nitrates (WebMD, L-citrulline) (MedlinePlus, Sildenafil). Keep taking prescribed medicine as directed.
Does citrulline cause side effects?
An upset stomach is the most common one (WebMD, L-citrulline). In one study of 41 weightlifters, 6 reported stomach discomfort after 8 g (NIH ODS, Supplements for Exercise). That dose is far above one capsule.
07Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the seller's materials and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, AHA, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read how we write and how we check reviews. This website is run by Melonexheart, which describes itself as a U.S. authorized Melonex merchant. It is not the manufacturer or the label's distributor, and we cannot independently verify the 'authorized' status. We are paid when you buy through our order links.
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