Emerging cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, including central vascular function and HDL efflux, may be modifiable with food-based interventions such as cranberry juice. A randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted in middle-aged adults with overweight/obesity (n = 40; mean BMI: 28.7 +or- 0.8 kg/m2; mean age: 47 +or- 2 years) and elevated brachial blood pressure (mean systolic/diastolic BP: 124 +or- 2/81 +or- 1 mm Hg). Study participants consumed 500 mL/d of cranberry juice (~16 fl oz; 27% cranberry juice) or a matched placebo juice in a randomized order (8-week supplementation periods; 8-week compliance break), with blood samples and vascular measurements obtained at study entry and following each supplementation period. There was no significant treatment effect of cranberry juice supplementation on the primary endpoint of central systolic blood pressure or central or brachial diastolic pressure. Cranberry juice significantly reduced 24-h diastolic ambulatory BP by ~2 mm Hg compared to the placebo (p = 0.05) during daytime hours. Cranberry juice supplementation did not alter LDL-C but significantly changed the composition of the lipoprotein profile compared to the placebo, increasing the concentration of large LDL-C particles (+29.5 vs. -6.7 nmol/L; p = 0.02) and LDL size (+0.073 vs. -0.068 nm; p = 0.001). There was no effect of treatment on ex vivo HDL efflux in the total population, but exploratory subgroup analyses identified an interaction between BMI and global HDL efflux (p = 0.02), with greater effect of cranberry juice in participants who were overweight. Exploratory analyses indicate that baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) values may moderate treatment effects. In this population of adults with elevated blood pressure, cranberry juice supplementation had no significant effect on central systolic blood pressure but did have modest effects on 24-h diastolic ambulatory BP and the lipoprotein profile. Future studies are needed to verify these findings and the results of our exploratory analyses related to baseline health moderators.

Feeding practices have been found to influence gut microbiota which play a major role in immunity of poultry. In the present study, changes in cecal microbiota and humoral responses resulting in the 55 ppm bacitracin (BACI), 1% each of cranberry (CP1) and wild blueberry (BP1) pomace alone or in combination (CP+BP) feeding in broiler Cobb 500 vaccinated or not against coccidiosis were investigated. In the non-vaccinated group, no significant treatment effects were observed on performance parameters. Vaccination significantly affected bird's performance parameters particularly during the growing phase from 10 to 20 days of age. In general, the prevalence of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) was reduced by vaccination (P < 0.05). BACI-treated birds showed low intestinal lesion scores, and both CP1 and BP1 feed supplementations reduced Eimeria acervulina and Clostridium perfringens incidences similar to BACI. Vaccination induced change in serum enzymes, minerals, and lipid levels in 21-day old birds while, levels of triglyceride (TRIG) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were higher (P < 0.05) in CP1 treated non-vaccinated group than in the control. The levels of NEFA were lower in BACI- and CP1-fed birds than in the control in non-vaccinated day 28 old birds. The highest levels of all estimated three immunoglobulins (IgY, IgM, and IgA) were found in the vaccinated birds. Metagenomics analysis of the cecal bacterial community in 21-day old birds showed the presence of Firmicutes (90%), Proteobacteria (5%), Actinobacteria (2%), and Bacteroidetes (2%). In the vaccinated group, an effect of BACI was noted on Proteobacteria (P = 0.03). Vaccination and/or dietary treatments influenced the population of Lactobacillaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Clostridiaceae, and Streptococcaceae which were among the most abundant families. Overall, this study revealed that besides their beneficial effects on performance, alike bacitracin, berry pomaces in poultry feed have profound impacts on the chicken cecal microbiota and blood metabolites that could be influenced by vaccination against coccidiosis.

BACKGROUND: Most women experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) at least once in their lifetime. The present study determined the efficacy and safety of a combination of Lactobacillus paracasei LC11, cranberry and D-mannose (Lactoflorene Cist R) in the prophylaxis of recurrent uncomplicated UTIs in premenopausal women.METHODS: This single-centre study enrolled premenopausal women aged 18-50 years with an acute UTI and a history of recurrent uncomplicated UTIs. Patients were first treated with fosfomycin (3 g once a day for 2 days) to eliminate any underlying infection, followed by treatment with Lactoflorene Cist R once a day for 10 days/month for 90 days (Group 1), Lactoflorene Cist R once daily for 90 days (Group 2) or no treatment (Group 3; control). The main study endpoint was the rate of UTI recurrence during the study period. Any adverse events with treatment were also recorded.RESULTS: A total of 55 women (mean age 39.3 years; range: 20-46) were enrolled in the study. A significantly higher proportion of patients in the control group experienced UTIs during the study period compared with the two treatment groups (52.9% vs 16.0% in Group 1 and 15.5% in group 2; p < 0.01). Similarly, a higher proportion of patients in Group 1 (65.8%) and Group 2 (68.7%) remained UTI-free during the study versus the control group. No adverse events were reported in the treated patients.CONCLUSION: Prophylactic treatment with Lactoflorene Cist R was effective and safe in the management of recurrent uncomplicated UTIs in premenopausal women.

Purpose: We sought to determine the efficacy of dried cranberry on reducing symptoms of overactive bladder in women.Materials and Methods: Eligible women aged 18 or older with overactive bladder were randomized to either daily dried cranberry powder (500 mg) or placebo (500 mg) and followed for 24 weeks. Efficacy was measured by 3-day voiding diaries and Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Short Form, Patient Perception of Bladder Condition, Sexual Quality of Life-Female and Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory surveys. Statistical analyses were performed by BIOFORTIS using SASR software version 9.4.Results: Of the 98 women who were randomized 77 completed all the visits and 60 were included in the per protocol analysis. Compared to placebo using per protocol analysis the cranberry group showed a significant reduction of daily micturitions (-1.91, 95% CI -3.74--0.88, p=0.0406), urgency episodes (-2.81, 95% CI -4.82--0.80, p=0.0069), and Patient Perception of Bladder Condition scores (-0.66, 95% CI -1.23-0.08, p=0.0258) at 24 weeks of followup. Mean volume per micturition, nocturia and the remaining survey outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups (p >0.05).Conclusions: Daily intake of dried cranberry powder reduced daily micturition by 16.4%, urgency episodes by 57.3% and patient perception of bladder condition by 39.7%. However, an intent-to-treat analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the groups for these measurements (p >0.05). Future larger studies with longer followup periods are needed to further determine the long-term effect of cranberry on overactive bladder.

Humicola insolens feruloyl esterase was immobilized on chemically modified epoxy-activated supports of different pore sizes. Native and immobilized feruloyl esterases were investigated for their esterification activity on raffinose in surfactantless microemulsions. Pectic polysaccharides, obtained from cranberry pomace using chelating agent (CH) and diluted alkaline (DA) extractions, were then esterified at the optimized conditions. Using CH polysaccharide extract as a substrate, immobilized feruloyl esterase led to higher feruloylation (22.1–26.6%) than the free enzyme (4.2%), and yielded polysaccharides with a higher increase in the total phenolic content. Free and immobilized feruloyl esterases acted similarly in the feruloylation of polysaccharides present in the DA extract, identified as being rich in rhamnogalacturonan I neutral branches. The prebiotic activity score showed that cranberry pectic polysaccharides were better fermented than inulin and generated abundant propionic acid. Increased feruloylation of cranberry polysaccharides had a negative impact on the growth of Lactobacillus brevis and Bifidobacterium longum strains. The total short chain fatty acid concentration showed that the presence of feruloylation affected DA polysaccharides more than CH ones. This showed the importance of controlling the feruloylation extent as a compromise between the prebiotic and the antioxidant properties.

PURPOSE: Our objective was to assess the efficacy of a high dose cranberry proanthocyanidin extract for the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection.MATERIAL AND METHODS: We recruited 145 healthy, adult women with a history of recurrent urinary tract infection, defined as >= 2 in the past 6 months or >= 3 in the past 12 months in this randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Participants were randomized to receive a high dose of standardized, commercially available cranberry proanthocyanidins (2 x 18.5 mg daily, n = 72) or a control low dose (2 x 1 mg daily, n = 73) for a 24-week period. During follow-up, symptomatic women provided urine samples for detection of pyuria and/or bacteriuria and received an appropriate antibiotic prescription. The primary outcome for the trial was the mean number of new symptomatic urinary tract infections during a 24-week intervention period. Secondary outcomes included symptomatic urinary tract infection with pyuria or bacteriuria.RESULTS: In response to the intervention, a non-significant 24% decrease in the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections was observed between groups (Incidence rate ratio 0.76, 95%CI 0.51-1.11). Post-hoc analyses indicated that among 97 women who experienced less than 5 infections in the year preceding enrolment, the high dose was associated with a significant decrease in the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections reported compared to the low dose (age-adjusted incidence rate ratio 0.57, 95%CI 0.33-0.99). No major side effects were reported.CONCLUSION: High dose twice daily proanthocyanidin extract was not associated with a reduction in the number of symptomatic urinary tract infections when compared to a low dose proanthocyanidin extract. Our post-hoc results reveal that this high dose of proanthocyanidins may have a preventive impact on symptomatic urinary tract infection recurrence in women who experienced less than 5 infections per year.TRIAL

Cranberry is a fruit originally from New England and currently growing throughout the east and northeast parts of the USA and Canada. The supplementation of cranberry extracts as nutraceuticals showed to contribute to the prevention of urinary tract infections, and most likely it may help to prevent cardiovascular and gastroenteric diseases, as highlighted by several clinical trials. However, aiming to validate the efficacy and safety of clinical applications as long-term randomized clinical trials (RCTs), further investigations of the mechanisms of action are required. In addition, a real challenge for next years is the standardization of cranberry's polyphenolic fractions. In this context, the optimization of the extraction process and downstream processing represent a key point for a reliable active principle for the formulation of a food supplement. For this reason, new non-conventional extraction methods have been developed to improve the quality of the extracts and reduce the overall costs. The aim of this survey is to describe both technologies and processes for highly active cranberry extracts as well as the effects observed in clinical studies and the respective tolerability notes.

Mastitis is the inflammation of one or several mammal lobes which can be accompanied by a mammary gland infection, and is the leading cause of undesired early weaning in humans. However, little information exists regarding the changes that this disease may induce in the biochemical composition of human milk, especially in terms of oxidative status. Given that newborns are subject to a significant increase in total ROS burden in their transition to neonatal life and that their antioxidant defense system is not completely developed, the aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant defense (glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), total polyphenol content (TPP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)) in milk samples from mothers suffering from mastitis and controls. We also measured the oxidative damage to lipids (malondyaldehyde (MDA)) and proteins (carbonyl group content (CGC)) in these samples. Finally, we tested whether dietary supplementation with cranberries (a product rich in antioxidants) in these breastfeeding mothers during 21 days could improve the oxidative status of milk. GPx activity, TPP, and TAC were increased in milk samples from mastitis-affected women, providing a protective mechanism to the newborn drinking mastitis milk. MDA concentrations were diminished in the mastitis group, confirming this proposal. Some oxidative damage might occur in the mammary gland since the CGC was increased in mastitis milk. Cranberries supplementation seems to strengthen the antioxidant system, further improving the antioxidative state of milk.

BACKGROUND: Cranberry proanthocyanidins (c-PAC) are oligomeric structures of flavan-3-ol units, which possess A-type interflavan bonds. c-PAC differs from other botanical sources because other PAC mostly have B-type interflavan bonds. Cranberry products used to alleviate and prevent urinary tract infections may suffer from adulteration, where c-PAC are replaced with less expensive botanical sources of PAC that contain B-type interflavan bonds.OBJECTIVE: Identifying the presence of A-type interflavan bonds in cranberry fruit and dietary supplements.METHODS: Thirty-five samples reported to contain A-type PAC (cranberry fruit and cranberry products) and 36 samples reported to contain B-type PAC (other botanical sources) were identified and differentiated using MALDI-TOF MS, deconvolution of overlapping isotope patterns, and principal component analysis (PCA).RESULTS: Our results show that both MALDI-TOF MS and deconvolution of overlapping isotope patterns were able to identify the presence of A-type interflavan bonds with a probability greater than 90% and a confidence of 95%. Deconvolution of MALDI-TOF MS spectra also determined the ratio of A-type to B-type interflavan bonds at each degree of polymerization in cranberry fruit and cranberry products, which is a distinguishing feature of c-PAC in comparison to other botanical sources of PAC. PCA shows clear differences based on the nature of the interflavan bonds.CONCLUSIONS: MALDI-TOF MS, deconvolution of overlapping isotope patterns of MALDI-TOF MS spectra, and PCA allow the identification, estimation, and differentiation of A-type interflavan bonds in cranberry-based foods and dietary supplements among other botanical sources containing mostly B-type interflavan bonds.

Cranberries have long been purported to provide protection against urinary tract infections.There is a line of evidence suggesting that causal pathogens might be seeded from the bacteria reservoirs in the intestinal and vaginal tracts.We tested the hypothesis whether cranberry intake would reshape bacteria taxa in the gut, as well as the vaginal ecosystem.A total of 25 postmenopausal women were enrolled into a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Stool samples and vaginal swabs were collected at baseline and after 15 days of consumption of placebo or cranberry beverages, microbiota analyses were performed by Illumina Miseq sequencing following a double-index 16S rRNA gene amplicon.All baseline stool samples generally fell in the Bacteroides enterotype.Significant increases of Prevotella (P = 0.04), Clostridium XIVa members (P = 0.04), Eggerthella (P = 0.03), and Bifidobacterium (P = 0.02) were shown following the cranberry juice intervention; this indicates modulation of the gut microbiota by cranberry components.Baseline vaginal microbiotas fell in three distinct patterns—Lactobacillus dominant, diversified microbiome, and Streptococcus dysbiosis.Compared with the placebo, the cranberry intervention significantly reduced the abundance of pathogenic Streptococcus (P = 0.04) in the dysbiosis group and increased commensal bacteria Anaerococcus, Finegoldia, Actinomyces, and Corynebacterium in the diversified microbiome and dysbiosis groups. Overall, these data suggest that cranberry consumption may improve vaginal microbiota composition in individuals with dysbiosis.Gut-borne taxa stimulation by the combination of cranberry oligosaccharides and polyphenols present in the cranberry product potentially mediates these beneficial properties.