Bioactive Compounds in Cranberries and their Biological Properties

Abstract

Cranberries are healthy fruit that contribute color, flavor, nutritional value, and functionality. They are one of only three fruits native to America. Over the past decade, public interest for the North American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) has been rising with reports of their potential health benefits linked to the numerous phytochemicals present in the fruit--the anthocyanins, the flavonols, the flavan-3-ols, the proanthocyanidins, and the phenolic acid derivatives. The presence of these phytochemicals appears to be responsible for the cranberry property of preventing many diseases and infections, including cardiovascular diseases, various cancers, and infections involving the urinary tract, dental health, and Helicobacter pylori-induced stomach ulcers and cancers. Recent years have seen important breakthroughs in our understanding of the mechanisms through which these compounds exert their beneficial biological effects, yet these remain to be scientifically substantiated. In this paper these characteristics, as well as the antioxidant, radical scavenging, antibacterial, antimutagen, and anticarcinogen properties of cranberry major bioactive compounds are explained.

Protective Effect of Cranberry Extracts against Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage Induced by Diclofenac Sodium in Kidney of Male Albino Rate

“…The antioxidant function of flavonoid components in craneberry is confirmed [36]. In addition, cranberry procyanidins have been discovered to fight reactive carbonyls by formation of adducts [37], and the present research explained elevation of plasma protein in Diclofenac sodium treated animals.…”

Phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus eryngii enriched with selenium and zinc

“…The common feature of this very diverse group of metabolites including flavonoids, phenolic acids, stilbenes, lignin, tannins is possessing in the structure one or more aromatic rings with hydroxyl groups [15,17].…”

Iron sequestration is not the main mechanism in the inhibition of Staphylococcus aureus growth by cranberry phytochemicals

“…The binding constant for iron has been determined to be in the 10 6 M -1 range for the 1:1 catechol:iron complex [18]. It has been postulated that the antimicrobial effects of polyphenols might be derived from their iron chelating effects [9,18,22]. The iron binding capacity of the cranberry SPE used in the inhibition experiment is estimated to be 0.63 mM based on its molar GAE.…”

“…Cranberries contain a diverse range of phytochemicals that included flavonols, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins and catechins [9]. These phenolic compounds might exert antimicrobial activity by causing cell wall lysis [10], disrupting membrane integrity and functions [11][12][13][14][15][16] or entering cells and interacting with cellular materials such as bacterial DNA [17].…”

“…Quercetin, a cranberry flavonol, has also been shown to bind iron strongly not only through the ortho-dihydroxy group but also through the C3-hydroxy/C4-keto group of the C-ring and C5-hydroxy/C4-keto group of the A-and C-rings [18,19]. Cranberry proanthocyanidins have also been shown to bind iron strongly through the orthodihydroxy group of the B-ring [9]. The effect of iron sequestration by these compounds can be seen by differential gene expressions in E. coli in particular genes involved in up-regulation of the iron acquisition systems [20,21].…”