These new findings reveal novel potential applications for cranberry food supplements in the prevention of oxidative stress, the firm said, as well as adding weight to the ingredient for uses at combating urinary tract infection (UTIs).
Oxidative stress has been linked to an increased risk of various diseases including cancer, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease.
NutriCran90S is a spray-dried cranberry concentrate powder containing a minimum one per cent of the active ingredient proanthocyanidines.
The powder contains 90 per cent cranberry fruit solids is 35 per cent organic acids, and 100 per cent water soluble, according to Lallemand.
"A double-blind placebo controlled trial conducted in young healthy women shows that a daily intake of 1200 mg NutriCran90S, not only prevents the adhesion of bacteria involved in recurrent urinary tract infection, but also provides a strong protection against protein oxidation, to a level never attained with antioxidant-containing food supplements before," the firm said.
The pilot study was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of Palacký University, in Olomouc, Czech Republic, and had been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry .
The investigators assessed the effects of eight weeks consumption of different doses of NutriCran90S food supplement capsules by 65 healthy young women.
According to Lallemand Health Ingredients the study showed that taking 1200 mg/day of cranberry juice powder provides a strong and long-lasting antioxidant effect on proteins.
The firm's researchers said that serum levels of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), a parameter of late oxidative stress in cells, were strongly reduced.
They said: "Moreover, this effect turned out to be quite enduring as the AOPP levels were still lower than baseline, eight months after the trial has ended, and well below the country average.
The authors highlighted the fact that such effect on AOPP level had never been described to date for plant-based antioxidants.
For reducing UTIs the firm said daily consumption of 1200 mg cranberry powder showed a 40 per cent reduction of adherence of uropathogenic E. coli in urine.
Yesterday NutraIngredients reported Chr Hansen is set to launch a new range of cranberry ingredients available for both the dietary supplement and functional food industries.
NutriPhy Cranberry uses both the European (vaccinium oxycoccus) and North American (vaccinium macrocarpon) cranberry, and will be aimed chiefly at preventing bacteria in the urinary tract.
The news will come as welcome relief for those that suffer UTIs, which each year affect eight million people, mostly women, the elderly and infants resulting in $1.6bn (€1.3bn) in health care costs.