New testing method may widen gut health avenues for cranberry seeds, finds study

12 Aug 2019 --- A new, validated test method for quantifying insoluble proanthocyanins (PACs) found in whole-fruit cranberry powder may change the landscape of cranberry research, enabling manufacturers to conduct reproducible studies and explore new structure and function claims. Cranberry industry player Fruit d’Or provided the commercial cranberry products for the study. The company anticipates that the use of both whole-fruit cranberry and cranberry seed powder to support gut health and overall wellness will be two strong areas of immediate research interest.

Published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the study was conducted by Complete Phytochemical Solutions LLC and Reed Research Group, as well as the Department of Animal Sciences of the University of Wisconsin. By quantifying cranberry ingredients’ insoluble PACs, the butanol test method will now open up doors to new research and science to take cranberry beyond UTI and into new areas such as gut health.

“Historically, most cranberry-related health outcomes were associated with juice and juice-derived products that contained only soluble PACs,” notes Christian Krueger, CEO of Complete Phytochemical Solutions. “Insoluble PACs have been an under-represented component of cranberry fruit. Now that the industry has moved into whole-fruit products, insoluble PACs come into the equation. With the butanol test method, we can do a better job of providing formulators, marketers and health researchers with more complete compositional information of their starting material.”

Krueger tells NutritionInsight that the butanol-hydrochloric acid (BuOH-HCI) is the preferred method for the quantification of insoluble (non-extractable) PAC. This method was recently adopted by the Cranberry Institute to support the specifications of the standardized research material (a freeze-dried whole-cranberry powder) that is made available to health researchers. 

Cranberry and cranberry seed powder for gut health and overall wellness will be two strong areas of immediate research interest.The butanol test method will not work on cranberry juice powders because there are no insoluble PACs found in cranberry juice powders or cranberry cocktail juice. “The method is relatively new to the cranberry industry. Many companies and laboratories still need to learn how important this test method is,” Krueger adds.

The research team confirmed that insoluble cranberry PACs can be quantified using the butanol-hydrochloric acid method (BuOH-HCl) and a standardized (c-PAC) reference standard. 

Insoluble PACs tend to cling tightly to fibers and proteins, making them difficult to extract and quantify. Although they may represent more of the cranberry by weight than soluble PACs, their importance to our health has not been well scrutinized. 

“This study will propel the entire cranberry industry to new levels,” says Stephen Lukawski, Director of Sales and Business Development for Fruit d’Or. “This newly accepted butanol test method will enable us to get a deeper understanding of cranberry’s health benefits, which will boost sales of cranberry products.” 

Future research will focus on the probiotic potential of cranberries. “We are looking at the benefits of cranberry prebiotic fiber for gut health, cranberry whole-fruit powder for oral care, and cranberry as a probiotic source,” Lukawski tells NutritionInsight. “This new test method is a foundation for new research to begin. The cranberry industry, manufacturers and consumers will all benefit by taking cranberry beyond UTIs.”

Fruit d’Or says both manufacturers and consumers will benefit from the new researchThere are many benefits to having a recognized test method for quantifying insoluble cranberry PACs, including: 

• It opens doors to structure and function claims. These new analytics will enable study designs to determine if a unique structure is related to a health and nutrition function. “This can potentially result in structure/function claims related to insoluble PACs found in food, nutritional supplements and dietary ingredients,” notes Krueger. 
• It will enable the cranberry industry to make stronger inroads into the gut health category. Right now, no one knows for certain the role of insoluble PACs in the gut. There is speculation that, during digestion, they increase antioxidant activity in the colon. Now, researchers can look at how whole fruit cranberry consumption relates to a healthy microbiome. “Insoluble PACs could influence gut-level processes,” agrees Krueger. “To examine correlations, you need a good understanding of the composition of your test materials. The need for analytic methods is important.” 
• It will enable studies to be reproduced with more accuracy, building a stronger body of supporting evidence. Consistently using the accepted BuOH-HCl to identify, quantify and standardize the insoluble PACs in the starting raw materials will produce a more accurate understanding of the results, and enable others to replicate and verify those findings. 
• It gives the cranberry industry an entire analytics suite to support the composition, quantity and authenticity of soluble and insoluble cranberry PACs. 

“Fruit d’Or is a zero waste, sustainable company and believes in what Mother Nature has given us to work with. We want to understand all the components within the fruit, but we couldn’t do that without an accepted, validated test method for insoluble PACs. This is a foundational tool that will enable us to continue our work with researchers and scientists on the efficacy behind the cranberry. Our goal is to take cranberry beyond UTIs and make it a lifestyle ingredient. Cranberry every day for everyone,” Lukawski says.

He adds that when it comes to quality of botanical ingredients, traceability is critical, as it’s imperative to have information about the planting of the seed in order to deliver consistent quality from lot-to-lot. Traceability allows for dependable and reliable quality ingredients. Control of the supply chain is critical when it comes to delivering consistent quality. “If you can’t trace back to the grower of the starting material, then you have issues concerning the integrity of the finished ingredients,” he says.

By Kristiana Lalou