The goal of the collaboration is to develop a cranberry based/cranberry specific PAC standard (derived from cranberry fruit) as an alternative to the Procyanidin A2 (dimer) standard currently utilised in the DMAC1 method.
In recent years, scientific studies have shown that cranberries contain the unique A-type PACs that may “help reduce the adhesion of certain E. coli bacteria to the urinary tract walls.” Doubts have arisen, however, over the accuracy of the current methods of PAC measurement in cranberries.
The two colorimetric methods currently used by the industry can deliver vastly different results. The recently introduced DMAC method provides an accurate quantification of PAC content based on the use of the Procyanidin A2 standard which is a dimer (chain length of 2), but can lead to an under-estimation of PAC content in products that are enriched in PACs of different sizes and lengths (degree of polymerisation from 2-8 up to >10). Variations in processing techniques for cranberry products can lead to significant differences in PAC composition.
Accurate quantification of PAC content in cranberry products is a vital component in establishing dosage guidelines for consumers. Additionally, it is essential for monitoring efficacy and shelf-life of dietary supplements, as well as helping standardise test materials used in research studies, the company said.
Ocean Spray and Complete Phytochemical Solutions hope to make the cranberry PAC standard developed in this collaboration commercially available to the cranberry industry, academic institutes and contract research organisations worldwide.
Amy Howell, associate research scientist at Rutgers University and member of the project team said: “Since DMAC is now considered to be the industry standard method, we are committed to improving its accuracy for all cranberry products by developing a more robust, commercially available cranberry PAC standard. We are proud to partner with leading cranberry supplier, Ocean Spray, on this initiative. We anticipate this new methodology will provide more confidence for suppliers, consumers and regulatory agencies in the assessment of PAC content which will have a significant impact on the cranberry industry.”
Source: Ocean Spray Cranberries
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