High PAC–Cranberry Study Shows Powerful Bacterial Anti-Adhesion

A new human study demonstrates the powerful-and fast-ability of a high-PAC (proanthocyanidin) ingredient to prevent adhesion of uropathogenic bacteria.

The Rutgers University study tested two 500-mg capsules of cranberry powder ingredient CranNaturelle, plus 300 mg of vitamin C ingredient Transport C-PLUS, in 10 men and 10 women. Researchers measured ex vivo uropathogenic bacterial anti-adhesion activity in subjects within a 24-hour period thereafter and found that 80% of subjects responded positively to the CranNaturelle supplement-an overall 16.5% positive response within 24 hours and, more specifically, a 32.5% positive response within 12 hours, which was deemed the peak activity period. Before supplementation, the subjects experienced no anti-adhesion activity.

“This study is very important for brand marketers and consumers, who, at first signs of urinary discomfort, can now count on relief of symptoms and comfort in as little as 12 hours,” said Stephen Lukawski, director of business development for CranNaturelle supplier Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals (Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, QC, Canada), in a press release.

Moreover, he says, the fact that Fruit d’Or uses an advanced method of characterizing CranNaturelle’s soluble and insoluble PACS allowed researchers to exactly match a cranberry powder lot number used in a previous 2013 Rutgers study, which enabled the company to confidently duplicate the results of that 2013 study in this most recent study.

According to Lukawski, using this new type of fingerprint analysis, developed by third-party lab Complete Phytochemical Solutions (Cambridge, WI), is essential in ensuring that studies on CranNaturelle are repeatable. “Using this new, sophisticated fingerprint analysis, we are able to move forward with more clinical research studies knowing what the starting cranberry material (CranNaturelle) actually contains. Understanding what is in the cranberry powder, such as fiber, polyphenol content, protein, and more, gives us a complete and transparent chemical evaluation to maintain consistency from batch to batch and lot to lot. We are first in industry to be able to achieve these results using fingerprint analysis, and this opens the door to firmly take cranberry beyond UTI.”

He says that these study results, based on CranNaturelle’s unique PAC characteristics, cannot be translated to other cranberry ingredients.

This summer, Lukawski and Fruit d’Or described how Complete Phytochemical’s fingerprint analysis revealed CranNaturelle to have one of the highest total PAC contents (insoluble and soluble PACs) on the market. Read more about the importance of measuring soluble and insoluble PACS in cranberry ingredients.

Although Transport C-PLUS did not increase anti-adhesion activity in this study, Lukawski says there was no ingredient action between the vitamin C and CranNaturelle and that Transport C-PLUS still provides antioxidant benefits.

Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine jennifer.grebow@ubm.com

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