Summary:
Cranberry has long been used as a supplement for its health benefits, due to its high polyphenol and flavanol content. Recent findings also highlight that cranberries contain high levels of oligosaccharides, which are prebiotics and contribute to their overall benefit. This study aimed to thoroughly characterize the polyphenolic and oligosaccharide content of cranberry extract and assess its impact on the gut microbiota of 28 human subjects. Within just four days, the commercially available cranberry extract, rich in polyphenols and oligosaccharides, significantly increased bifidobacteria and the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria known to reduce inflammation. It also positively altered the ratios of short-chain fatty acids.
Abstract:
Cranberry is associated with multiple health benefits, which are mostly attributed to its high content of (poly)phenols, particularly flavan-3-ols. However, clinical trials attempting to demonstrate these positive effects have yielded heterogeneous results, partly due to the high inter-individual variability associated with gut microbiota interaction with these molecules. In fact, several studies have demonstrated the ability of these molecules to modulate the gut microbiota in animal and in vitro models, but there is a scarcity of information in human subjects. In addition, it has been recently reported that cranberry also contains high concentrations of oligosaccharides, which could contribute to its bioactivity. Hence, the aim of this study was to fully characterize the (poly)phenolic and oligosaccharidic contents of a commercially available cranberry extract and evaluate its capacity to positively modulate the gut microbiota of 28 human subjects. After only four days, the (poly)phenols and oligosaccharides-rich cranberry extract, induced a strong bifidogenic effect, along with an increase in the abundance of several butyrate-producing bacteria, such as Clostridium and Anaerobutyricum. Plasmatic and fecal short-chain fatty acids profiles were also altered by the cranberry extract with a decrease in acetate ratio and an increase in butyrate ratio. Finally, to characterize the inter-individual variability, we stratified the participants according to the alterations observed in the fecal microbiota following supplementation. Interestingly, individuals having a microbiota characterized by the presence of Prevotella benefited from an increase in Faecalibacterium with the cranberry extract supplementation.
Article Publication Date: 06/03/2024
DOI: 10.1038/s41522-024-00493-w
