Malvin Explained

Malvin is a naturally occurring chemical of the anthocyanin family.

Malvin reacts in the presence of H₂O₂ to form malvone.^[1] The ortho-benzoyloxyphenylacetic acid esters reaction product is dependant of the pH: it is obtained under acidic conditions whereas under neutral conditions, the reaction product is the 3-O-acyl-glucosyl-5-O-glucosyl-7-hydroxy coumarin.^[2]

Natural occurrences

It is a diglucoside of malvidin mainly found as a pigment in herbs like Malva (Malva sylvestris), Primula and Rhododendron.^[3] M. sylvestris also contains malonylmalvin (malvidin 3-(6-malonylglucoside)-5-glucoside).^[4]

The characteristic floral jade coloration of Strongylodon macrobotrys has been shown to be an example of copigmentation, a result of the presence of malvin and saponarin (a flavone glucoside) in the ratio 1:9.

Presence in food

Malvin can be found in a variety of common foods, including peaches (Clingstone variety^[5]).

References

1. Oxidation of the anthocyanidin-3,5-diglucosides with H2O2: The structure of malvone. G. Hrazdina, Phytochemistry, July 1970, Volume 9, Issue 7, Pages 1647–1652,
2. Oxidation products of acylated anthocyanins under acidic and neutral conditions. Géza Hrazdina and Angeline J. Franzese, Phytochemistry, January 1974, Volume 13, Issue 1, Pages 231–234,
3. J. A. Joule, K. Mills: Heterocyclic Chemistry., S. 173, Blackwell Publishing, 2000,
4. Malonated anthocyanins in malvaceae: Malonylmalvin from Malva sylvestris. Kosaku Takeda, Shigeki Enoki, Jeffrey B. Harborne and John Eagles, Phytochemistry, 1989, Volume 28, Issue 2, Pages 499–500,
5. 10691607 . 2000 . Chang . S . Tan . C . Frankel . EN . Barrett . DM . Low-density lipoprotein antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds and polyphenol oxidase activity in selected clingstone peach cultivars . 48 . 2 . 147–51 . Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry . 10.1021/jf9904564.