Description
Several different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the possible role of cranberries, cranberry juice, and cranberry extracts in inhibiting bacterial growth. In this report, we showed that Escherichia coli showed slower growth rate in response to the presence of cranberry juice in the growth media. By compareing the global transcript profiles, significant modulation of several genes of E. coli grown in LB broth with 10% cranberry juice were identified and provided identification of the potential mechanisms involved in the inhibitory effects of cranberry juice. The results presented clearly demonstrate that the inhibitory effect on bacterial growth observed in the presence of cranberry juice/extracts is primarily a result of the iron chelation capacity of PACs and direct disruption of metabolic enzymes. The results are discussed with a focus on the genes associated with iron chelation capability.