Cranberry Powder PAC Structure Linked To Mechanism of Action and Efficacy

19 Dec 2016 --- Researchers have linked the structure of specific soluble cranberry proanthocyanidins (PAC) with a mechanism of action and efficacy. The in vitro study, conducted using Fruit d’Or’s Cran Naturelle whole fruit cranberry powder, demonstrates the value of using state-of-art C-PAC reference standard in research.

In the study conducted by Complete Phytochemical Solutions (CPS), a third-party consulting and contract research company, researchers used scanning electron microscopy to capture images of extra-intestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) agglutinated in the presence of proanthocyanidins from Fruit d’Or Cran Naturelle.

C-PAC reference material, developed by CPS, was used to authenticate and quantify the soluble and insoluble PAC from Cran Naturelle whole fruit cranberry powder.

“Fruit d’Or is first out of the gate to identify the PAC constituents in our whole fruit cranberry powder using the C-PAC reference standard. Now we have this image to show the world what we can do,” says Stephen Lukawski, director of Sales and Business Development for Fruit d’Or.

CPS CEO Christian Krueger says, “These are the only industry-sponsored scanning electron microscopy images that we have captured to date. Images help visualize the structure-activity mechanism by which cranberry proanthocyanidins interact with ExPEC.”

“The agglutination effect is primarily attributed to the interaction of adhesive organelles on the surface of the ExPEC with the cranberry proanthocyanidins. They represent a tight link between the soluble PAC present in Cran Naturelle and the biologic outcome.”

Lukawski adds, “By understanding the unique structure of our PAC using the latest tools for authentication, we were able to move onto the next step. We discovered something new and meaningful in the world of gut health”.

Researchers may now build on these results to potentially demonstrate how Cran Naturelle’s PAC may mitigate pathogenic E. coli activity in the urinary and intestinal tracts.

“The research process should be to first identify your cranberry, know what’s in it (such as its PAC activity), link the PAC to standardization, then conduct the study to establish efficacy.”

“Fruit d’Or is the first whole fruit cranberry ingredient supplier to follow this protocol,” explains Lukawski.

He says the C-PAC reference standard and associated analytic methods are “Fit for Purpose”, meaning that the methods and reference standards have been scientifically validated and represent the most appropriate approach to authenticate and quantify the bioactive PAC of whole fruit cranberry.

“C-PAC is your pillar. Without it, there is no accurate standardization. Lack of standardization leads to more fairy dust cranberry products at the retail level.”

“How can you move forward to conduct a cranberry study or even repeat a study, if you don’t know what is in your starting cranberry powder or what reference standard you started with when doing your testing of biomarkers for standardization?”

Krueger adds that, “It’s the efforts that Fruit d’Or has gone to, to characterize its product’s unique characteristics, that enables them to demonstrate this structure/function claim on the pathogenic bacteria. Other cranberry products may have different activities. It’s incumbent on ingredient manufacturers to test their own unique products in order to make similar claims.

Lukawski agrees. “This is why we’ve done all this hard work in the first place. Now future studies can be done on soluble and insoluble PAC, because we have the C-PAC reference material, and we can authenticate our starting cranberry powder raw material. Only with identification, authentication and standardization can we link to efficacy in outcome studies. This is what furthers separates us from other whole fruit cranberry suppliers.”

Cranberry ingredients and formulated products will vary from lot to lot because they are affected by every phase of the growing and manufacturing process, including drying and milling, emphasizing the importance of using “Fit for Purpose” methods to authenticate and standardize the bioactive components starting material, then link that to its bioefficacy and standardization.

“The C-PAC reference standard is a more accurate means of quantifying both soluble and insoluble PAC than the procyanidin A2 dimer reference standard that was previously used,” says Krugar.

“Fruit d’Or was the first supplier in the natural cranberry powder industry to identify our starting raw material using the C-PAC as a reference standard. No other cranberry supplier of whole fruit cranberry powder has identified any biomarkers and linked these to outcome studies.”

“This means past research studies from other whole fruit cranberry suppliers are encouraging but are outdated, questionable and misleading for both consumers and the future of the cranberry industry. We invite researchers and formulators to use this understanding to support additional research using our Cran Naturelle whole fruit cranberry powder. We feel confident that these studies will lead to better understanding of our product’s bioactivity and health outcomes, beyond urinary tract health.”