Cranberries: The Use of a Naturally Occurring Compound to Fight against Periodontopathogens

Cranberries: The Use of a Naturally Occurring Compound to Fight against Periodontopathogens

This literature review focuses on the use of a naturally occurring compound found in cranberries (proanthocyanidins) to fight against periodontopathogens and thus the development of periodontal disease. Periodontopathogens and their invasion in gingival tissues and periodontium is the usual cause of periodontitis. Oral microorganisms coaggregate to become major bacterial complexes, allowing their proteases to digest similar components of the gingival crevicular fluid located in subgingival sites. The most common microbe associated with this disease is P. gingivaliswhere its proteolytic enzymes gingipains and dipeptidyl peptidases IV break down collagen and create large supplements of iron for the bacteria. However, recent studies have suggested the polyphenolic compound, proanthocyanidins, may inhibit the proteolytic activity of these bacterial complexes and compromise the growth and life span of the periodontopathogens. Further experiments have extracted non-dialysable material from cranberries and applied it to various bacterial cultures to analyze its effects on bacterial cell adherence to host cells and proteolytic activity. Thus, raw cranberries are believed to contain a potential compound that can be used as a preferred alternative treatment for periodontitis.