It has believed that consuming cranberries and their products could prevent Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) for over 100 years. In recent years, it has been suggested and proved that cranberries prevent UTIs by hindering bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract, thanks to phytochemicals known as proanthocyanidins (PACs).

But the mechanisms of cranberry materials and by which may alter bacterial behavior have not been fully understood. Now, researchers in McGill University’s Department of Chemical Engineering are trying on the biological mechanisms by which cranberries impart protective properties against urinary tract and other infections. Two new studies, by Prof. Nathalie Tufenkji, add to evidence of cranberries’ and their effects on UTI-causing bacteria. The findings also point to the potential for cranberry derivatives to be used to prevent bacterial colonization in medical devices such as catheters. In research results, Prof. Tufenkji and members of laboratory report that cranberry powder can inhibit the ability of Proteus mirabilis, a bacterium frequently implicated in complicated UTIs , to swarm on agar plates and swim within the agar. The experiments also show that increasing concentrations of cranberry powder reduce the bacteria’s production of urease, an enzyme that contributes to the virulence of infections.