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L-Citrulline DL-Malate in Melonex: First in the Blend, Amount Not Printed
L-citrulline dl-malate is the first name in the Melonex blend, so by label order it is at least 167 mg of the 500 mg. Citrulline is an amino acid the body converts to arginine. Trials used 3 to 9 g a day and found small average blood-pressure changes with wide uncertainty, far more than one capsule holds.
Written by the Melonex label deskUpdated
What is L-citrulline dl-malate?
It is the amino acid L-citrulline joined to malic acid. Citrulline occurs in watermelon and in the body, and malate is a salt of malic acid found in apples.
| Name on the label | L- Citrulline dl - Malate |
|---|---|
| What it is | Amino acid citrulline joined to malic acid (a salt) |
| Place in the blend list | 1 of 3, most to least by weight |
| Amount per capsule | not printed; the label order puts it at 167 mg or more of the 500 mg blend |
| Amount used in research | 3 to 8 g (3,000 to 8,000 mg) a day of citrulline for 1 to 16 weeks |
| Strength of evidence | Small average systolic drops in pooled trials, no effect in one analysis; small, low-certainty exercise benefit |
| Marketed or traditional use | Sold for exercise and blood flow |
| Main caution | Possible bloating, cramping, diarrhea, sweating (Cleveland Clinic). That page lists no drug interactions; ask your pharmacist anyway. |
Citrulline is not one of the amino acids that build proteins. The body makes it in the urea cycle and the gut, and the kidney converts part of it into arginine, which in turn is a source of nitric oxide, a small molecule that relaxes blood vessels 6. A dietitian-reviewed summary explains the same chain in plain words 4.
Where is it in the Melonex blend?
It is the first name under the 500 mg Proprietary Blend, so the label order puts it at 167 mg or more.
The floor of 167 mg comes from the rule that names run from most to least by weight 7. The label does not print the real amount, so it could be 167 mg or something close to 400 mg. Part of the weight is malate, not citrulline. Read the full explanation on the proprietary blend page.
What do trials of citrulline show about blood pressure?
Results are small, mixed and from small trials. None used a product like Melonex, and none shows that a capsule treats high blood pressure.
| Review | What it pooled | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Meta-analysis, 8 trials | 10 datasets, 12 to 34 people each; 3 to 9 g a day for 1 to 17 weeks | Systolic -4.10 mm Hg (CI -7.94 to -0.26) 1 |
| Meta-analysis, 5 interventions | Brachial pressure | No significant change in systolic or diastolic 2 |
| Meta-analysis, 15 trials | Citrulline or watermelon, middle-aged and older adults, 415 people | Systolic -4.02 mm Hg 3 |
| Meta-analysis, 8 trials | 176 people | Better flow-mediated dilation, no clear change in arterial stiffness 8 |
The reviews do not agree, the people studied were few, and the doses were many times what a 500 mg blend can hold. This is why we do not say the capsule lowers blood pressure. The benefits page sets each sales claim next to this evidence.
How does the label dose compare with trial doses?
The trials used grams a day. The whole Melonex blend is half a gram per capsule, and citrulline is only part of it.
Even at the label's maximum of two capsules a day, the entire blend is 1,000 mg. If citrulline were the whole blend, which it cannot be, that would still be one third to one ninth of a trial dose. So reading a trial result as a promise about Melonex is a stretch.
Does citrulline malate help exercise?
A pooled analysis of 30 randomized trials found a small improvement in exercise performance, with wide uncertainty.
The analysis covered 644 people and found an effect size of 0.16, which is small 5. Exercise is a different question from heart health, and the Melonex label makes no sport claim. The point to take is that "small and uncertain" is the pattern with citrulline across outcomes.
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See packsHow do you read L-citrulline dl-malate on the whole label?
Read it as one line out of three, under a total of 500 mg, with a plain rule about order and no promise about amount.
The label gives three facts: the name, its place and the total. It leaves out the milligrams of this line, the source of the ingredient, and any lab result. The brand's claims on the front, Heart Support* and Circulation Support*, are starred to the FDA statement that the claims are not evaluated and that the product is not meant to treat, cure or prevent any disease 10.
That matters because it is easy to move from "citrulline raises nitric oxide in a lab" to "so the capsule does this for me". The chain has missing links: the amount, the form, the person and the length of use. A published trial answers a question about its own capsule, its own dose and its own volunteers.
What should you ask before you buy?
Ask for the amount, the lot's lab report and the maker's name, and ask your pharmacist about your own medicines.
- What is the milligram amount of this line in my lot?
- Is there a certificate of analysis I can read, and who issued it?
- Is the facility named anywhere, or only called FDA registered?
- Does this fit with the medicines I take now?
Contact details sit on the contact page. Pharmacists check interactions for free in most pharmacies, and it takes a few minutes 11. Our testing and quality page shows which proofs the brand shows and which it does not.
If you decide to try the product anyway, write down the start date, take the label dose, and keep your home blood-pressure log, as described on the home reading page. That log helps your clinician more than any capsule can.
Is citrulline safe?
In trials, citrulline was generally well tolerated, with mild stomach upset reported at higher doses. That is not a guarantee for you.
Because it can add to the effect of blood-pressure medicines and nitrates, ask a pharmacist first if you take them. See the medicines page. Stop and seek care for chest pain, fainting or swelling of the face, and call 911 for chest pain or stroke signs 1213.
FAQ01
Melonex questions people ask
What is L-citrulline dl-malate?
It is the amino acid L-citrulline combined with malic acid. The body converts part of citrulline into arginine, which feeds nitric oxide production.
How much citrulline is in Melonex?
At least 167 mg of the 500 mg blend, by label order, because it is listed first. The real amount is not printed.
Is citrulline the same as arginine?
No. Citrulline is a precursor that the body converts to arginine. Melonex lists both, in three forms.
Does citrulline lower blood pressure?
Some pooled analyses found small drops and one found none. The doses were grams a day. This site does not claim that Melonex lowers blood pressure.
Is citrulline from watermelon?
Citrulline was first found in watermelon, but the name does not say where this capsule's citrulline comes from. The label does not print a source.
Who should avoid citrulline?
Anyone on blood-pressure medicine, nitrates or sildenafil-type medicine should ask a pharmacist first. Pregnant or nursing mothers and under-18s should ask a physician.
Who wrote this02
Written and reviewed by
Pages built from the label, the sales page and linked NIH, FDA, CDC, FTC and peer-reviewed sources.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is the information site for a USA Authorized Melonex Retailer. It is not the manufacturer or the distributor named on the label. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
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