Coompo Research Chemicals

Not many studies have focused on the health effects of malvidin. A German study found a very low absorption of malvidin-3-glucoside in humans after consumption of in red wine or red grape juice. The study suggested that not malvidin-3-glucoside but rather not yet identified anthocyanin metabolites and/or other polyphenols in red wine might be responsible for the observed antioxidant and health effects in humans consuming red wine.

One in-vitro study demonstrated that malvidin is cytotoxic to human leukemia cells. Malvidin stopped the cell cycle in the G(2)/M phase and induced apoptosis. At a concentration of 40 ppm malvidin the growth of the leukemia cells was halved. For this experiment the researchers used malvidin extracted from black rice. It is not know if malvidin has the same protective action in humans.