A wholesome new cranberry line.
Scientists are using traditional breeding methods to suit up a
wholesome new cranberry line with a readily absorbable dose of
antioxidants.
Investigators found an attractive cranberry species from Alaska
that is genetically similar enough to the American cranberry to produce
fertile progeny. The Alaskan species is also attractive because some of
the fruit's many healthful chemical compounds, anthocyanins, are
glucose-linked. In nature, most anthocyanins are bound to sugars. Those
that are bound to glucose sugar are relatively high in antioxidant
capacity and are well absorbed in the human gut. In contrast, the
anthocyanins found in the American cranberry are mainly bound to other
kinds of sugars, and they are less easily absorbed. The researchers
found that, compared to the typical American cranberry's
anthocyanins, which are 3% to 5% glucose-linked, the anthocyanins in
hybrids from the first breeding cross were 50% glucose-linked.
Contact: James Polashock, USDA-ARS Genetic Improvement of Fruits
and Vegetables Lab, 10300 Baltimore Ave., Building 010A, BARC-West,
Beltsville, MD 20705. Phone: 301-504-6571. Email:
james.polashock@ars.usda.gov.
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