Cranberry Industry Leads Efforts to Quantify Cranberry PACs

EAST WAREHAM, Mass.—The U.S. cranberry industry is working to standardize the methodology used to quantify proanthocyanidins (PACs)—the family of flavonoids present in cranberries believed to impart one of the berry’s major health benefits, i.e., helping maintain urinary tract health—in cranberry products consumed worldwide. Cranberry PACs provide unique bacterial anti-adhesion effects, but until now, manufacturers have not had a consistent industry-wide method to measure and quantify these compounds in their products and provide consumers assurance that the products they purchase contain sufficient quantities of PACs.

Led by a distinguished group of scientists, including Ronald L. Prior, Ph.D., of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center; and Amy Howell, Ph.D., from Rutgers University, in collaboration with Brunswick Laboratories, Norton, Mass., and Agrobios Laboratories in France, a standardized protocol to quantify the PACs in cranberry products is being devised.

“There are several methods available to quantify PACs, none of which are perfect,” stated Dr. Prior. “However, we came to the conclusion that based on the needs of the cranberry industry, a standardized method must be identified to allow for proper comparison between research results.”

The team aims to standardize and validate the quantification of PACs found in products made from the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), the only species shown in clinical trials to deliver this benefit and which is used in most commonly consumed cranberry products in the U.S., as well as 90 percent of the products consumed in Europe. The PAC content has been determined using an updated dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde method (DMAC).

“Our team has analyzed a number of different methods, and the DMAC method is the most robust, easiest and least expensive way to quantify cranberry PACs,” assured Dr. Howell. “In addition, our team is comprised of international researchers and laboratories representing years of cumulative experience and expertise specializing in the science of proanthocyanidin chemistry and quantification.”

Based on the significant body of research supporting the benefit of cranberry PACs for urinary tract health, consumers look for cranberry products to help maintain urinary tract health which accounts for nearly 10 million doctor visits annually in the U.S. alone. Over the last decade, several studies have credited the unusual type of PACs found in cranberries with preventing the adhesion of certain strains of the leading urinary tract infection (UTI) causing bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli). The PACs found in cranberries have a unique A-type linkage structure that sets them apart from most other vegetable and fruit PACs. In addition, this anti-adhesion property has also been shown to interfere with the sticking of certain bacteria in the mouth associated with periodontal gum disease, as well as the H. pylori bacteria responsible for stomach ulcers, the leading cause of stomach cancer.

“A standard method to quantify the PACs in cranberries is invaluable to the future of cranberry science and to the consumer,” added Howell. “When you have a ’superfruit‘ with clear benefits, it is imperative to guarantee that the amount of the active component has been quantified and standardized in a reliable, valid way.”

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