Cranberry extract useful in the treatment and prevention of urinary infections

1. A dry cranberry extract, comprising:

10 to 20% by weight of proanthocyanidins (PACs) in relation to the total weight of the dry extract (measured by the BL-DMAC method),

2 to 12% by weight of organic acids in relation to the total weight of the dry extract, including:

1-10% by weight of quinic acid in relation to the total weight of the dry extract,

0.5-8% by weight of phenolic acids in relation to the total weight of the dry extract,

at least 0.5% by weight of anthocyans and/or anthocyanidins in relation to the total weight of the dry extract,

1-10% by weight of sugars in relation to the total weight of the dry extract,

1-10% by weight of flavonols, in glycosylated/or aglycone form,

wherein the dry cranberry extract is provided in tablet or capsule form.

2. The extract according to claim 1 wherein the polymers of PACs having a degree of polymerization greater than or equal to 4 represent at least 30% by weight, in relation to the weight of all PACs present in the extract.

3. A process for preparing an extract according to claim 1 , comprising the following steps:

a) Enriching a water-soluble fraction of cranberry in non-polar polyphenolic compounds, and in organic acids, to obtain fraction I,

b) Enriching a water-insoluble fraction of cranberry in polymers of PACs, to obtain fraction II,

c) Combining fractions I and II obtained in steps a) and b), respectively, in proportions corresponding to a weight ratio (fraction I/fraction II) ranging between 30/70 and 70/30, and

d) Enzymatic digestion with at least one esterase wherein the esterase is a tannase, a cinnamoyl-esterase, or a β-glucosidase or a mixture thereof.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein:

the water-soluble fraction used in step a) is cranberry juice and the water-insoluble fraction used in step b) is cranberry marc, or

The water-soluble fraction used in step a) and the water-insoluble fraction used in step b) were obtained from whole cranberries, by:

i) Crushing whole cranberries, and

ii) Decanting and separating the water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions.

5. The process according to claim 3 wherein fraction I is obtained in step a) by the following steps:

a1) separating non-polar compounds and polar compounds by:

adsorption of the water-soluble fraction on a non-polar support,

washing with a polar solvent and collecting polar fraction Ia, and

eluting and collecting non-polar fraction Ib;

a2) separating organic acids and sugars present in polar fraction Ia by:

adsorption of fraction Ia on ion-exchange resin,

washing with aqueous solvent,

eluting with acidic solvent and collecting fraction Ic comprising organic acids;

a3) Combining fractions Ib and Ic to form fraction I.

6. The process according to claim 3 wherein fraction II is obtained in step b) by treatment comprising a step of extracting polymers of PACs from the water-insoluble fraction with organic solvent.

7. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the combining of fraction I obtained in step a) and fraction II obtained in step b) is carried out by simple mixing of fractions I and II, without removing part of one of the fractions.

8. The process according to claim 3 wherein step d) of enzymatic digestion with at least one esterase is carried out:

before step a), either during preparation of the water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions on crushed material, or on the water-soluble fraction and the water-insoluble fraction,

between steps a) and b) and final combination step c), on fractions I and II, or

at the end of the process, on the combined extract obtained at the conclusion of step c).

9. An extract obtainable by the process according to claim 3 .

10. A food or nutraceutical composition, comprising an extract according to claim 1 .

11. A pharmaceutical composition, comprising an extract according to claim 1 .

12. A method for the prevention or treatment of urinary tract infections comprising administering to a subject an effective quantity of the extract of claim 1 .

13. A food or nutraceutical composition comprising an extract according to claim 9 .

14. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an extract according to claim 9 .

15. A method for the prevention or treatment of urinary tract infections comprising administering to a subject an effective quantity of the extract of claim 9 .

16. The cranberry extract of claim 1 wherein the cranberry extract is a de-esterified cranberry extract.