CRANBERRY EXTRACT INHIBITS LOW-DENSITY-LIPOPROTEIN OXIDATION

Cranberry juice consumption is often used for the treatment of urinary tract infections, but the effect of cranberry juice on heart disease has not been investigated. We evaluated how a cranberry extract contai ning 1,548 mg gallic acid equivalents/liter (initial pH=2.50) affected low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation induced by 10 micromolar cupr ic sulfate. When LDL oxidation took place in the presence of diluted c ranberry extracts, the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive subst ances (TBARS) and LDL electrophoretic mobility were reduced. LDL elect rophoretic migration was also reduced when the cranberry extract had a pH of 7.00 prior to dilution. This study suggests that cranberry extr acts have the ability to inhibit the oxidative modification of LDL par ticles. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.