BACKGROUND Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) contain high levels of phytochemicals such as proanthocyanidins (PACs). These polymeric condensations of flavan-3-ol monomers are associated with health benefits. Our objective was to evaluate phytochemicals in fruit from Hawaiian cranberry relatives, V. reticulatum Sm. and V. calycinum Sm. Normal-phase HPLC coupled with fluorescence and ESI-M...

Strains of uropathogenic E. coli are responsible for approximately 90% of community-acquired, uncomplicated cystitis, and fimbriae represent the adhesive factors enabling E. coli to be anchored to uroepithelial cells in the first step of the infectious process. Recently, a few studies have shown that a correlation between the consumption of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and prevention of UT...

OBJECTIVE Several studies have investigated the role of cranberry extract in the prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), on different selected subpopulations at increased risk of UTI. In this registry, we tested the prophylactic effects of an oral supplementation containing a highly standardized cranberry extract (Anthocran®) in young subjects with a previous history of recurre...

Pheromone-based mating disruption has proven to be a powerful pest management tactic in many cropping systems. However, in the cranberry system, a viable mating disruption program does not yet exist. There are commercially available pheromones for several of the major pests of cranberries, including the cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and blackheaded firew...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of supplementation with cranberry (Vaccinum macrocarpon) on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, hepcidin and selected markers of iron metabolism in rowers subjected to exhaustive exercise. METHODS This double-blind study included 16 members of the Polish Rowing Team. The subjects were randomly assigned to the supplemented group ...

The process of selecting certain desirable traits for plant breeding may compromise other potentially important traits, such as defences against pests; however, specific phenotypic changes occurring over the course of domestication are unknown for most domesticated plants. Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) offers a unique opportunity to study such changes: its domestication occurred recently, a...

BACKGROUND Cranberry fruits possess many biological activities partly due to their various phenolic compounds; however the underlying modes of action are poorly understood. We studied the effect of cranberry fruit extracts on the gene expression of Staphylococcus aureus to identify specific cellular processes involved in the antibacterial action. METHODS Transcriptional profiles of four S. au...

To prevent infestation of highbush blueberries by fruitworms, growers employ pheromone-baited traps to monitor adult moths and apply insecticides to fields at risk from infestation by the larvae of these pests. However, there are increasing restrictions on availability of broad-spectrum insecticides and monitoring traps have not been used to predict optimal timing of controls for these species ...

The expansion of modern agriculture has led to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitat, resulting in a global decline in biodiversity, including bees. In many countries, farmers can participate in cost-share programs to create natural habitat on their farms for the conservation of beneficial insects, such as bees. Despite their dependence on bee pollinators and the demonstrated commitment...