Large-fruited cranberries

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Large-fruited cranberries
Large fruited cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

Large fruited cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon )

Systematics
Asterids
Order : Heather-like (Ericales)
Family : Heather family (Ericaceae)
Genre : Blueberries ( vaccinium )
Subgenus : Cranberries ( Oxycoccus )
Type : Large-fruited cranberries
Scientific name
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Aiton

The large-fruited cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon , syn .: Oxycoccus macrocarpos ) - in Low German cranberry or cranberry (from kraan , crane, therefore also craneberry ) - is primarily known under the English name cranberry . It is a plant from the genus of blueberries ( Vaccinium ) in the family of heather plants (Ericaceae). The English name cranberry is derived from crane berries , as the stamens of the flowers form a beak, which reminded the first European immigrants to America of a crane's beak.

Occurrence

Cranberries are native to Europe , Asia and North America , with the American cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon ) being more robust and less round than the Eurasian-North American common cranberry ( Vaccinium oxycoccos ).

The American cranberry is grown and marketed extensively in the USA , especially in New England . Among other things, the berries are an indispensable part of the Thanksgiving menu. In Germany, the cranberry is often found in stores under the misleading name of “cultivated lingonberry”, but tastes significantly different from lingonberries . It is bitter and very sour.

description

Cranberry, blooming
fruit

The cranberry is an evergreen dwarf shrub ( Chamaephyte ), which grows about 10 to 20 cm high and which crawls about 0.5 to 1.5 m on the ground with prostrate branches. The growth habit is prostrate-ascending. That means: The older sections of the branches lie on the ground and take root along their entire length, while the ends of the branches are upright. The branches continue to grow indefinitely (up to 1 m per year), with the old, rear sections dying off after a few years when they are overgrown by neighboring plants and (peat) mosses . Therefore, a stock of cranberries is given a lawn-like structure (individual plants are not recognizable).

The simple, entire, short-stalked, almost bare, alternate leaves are leathery-thick, evergreen, 0.9 to 1.9 cm long, narrow, ovate to elliptical and rounded. The leaves are pale green on the underside and partly "frosted", the leaf margin is slightly bent, the short petiole is partly reddish.

The flowers are usually four-fold with a double flower envelope. They are in "only terminal" and racemose , little-flowered (up to 10) inflorescences at the base of the shoots of the current year, above grows, which then leaves again, shoot continues. The nodding, long-stemmed flowers are white to slightly pink, reddish with strongly turned back, ovoid petals, the calyx has only very small lobes. The flowers are each on a bract (or reduced leaf), there are also two prophylls . The reddish, slightly hairy flower stalks are 1.5–3 inches long. The roehrig standing 5–8 stamens , with priemlichen anthers, have shorter and reddish stamens. The multilocular ovary is inferior, with a long stylus with smaller capitate scar . There is a discus .

The smooth, multi-seeded and egg-shaped to rounded or ellipsoidal fruits ( false fruit ), berries with calyx remains at the tip, are comparable in size to smaller cherries, they are about 10 to over 25 millimeters in size (cultivated varieties are of course larger). The ripe fruits are bright red in color and have four air chambers inside, making them much lighter than water. The many (about 30), orange-brownish, slightly furrowed seeds are egg-shaped to rounded, flattened and about 1.8-2.5 mm in size.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 24.

distribution

The natural habitat of Vaccinium macrocarpon is in raised bogs in eastern North America. The distribution area extends from New Brunswick and Newfoundland in Canada to the US states of North Carolina , Tennessee and Virginia . The species occurs there in societies of the class Eriophoro-Kalmietea.

Vaccinium macrocarpon was naturalized as a neophyte in several moors in Germany and on the Dutch islands of Terschelling and Vlieland . It occurs here in societies of the order Spagnetalia. Further naturalizations by cultural refugees took place in the western USA (California and Washington) and in England.

harvest

Cranberry harvest in New Jersey

The fruits are much lighter than water, which makes today's highly mechanized harvesting process possible. The largest European producer of fruits of cultivated plants is Latvia with around 100 hectares of cultivation area.

A special harvesting method is common in commercial cultivation: First, the fields are flooded with water, then the cranberries are separated from the bush by means of a vortex suction using special machines. Then the ripe fruits floating on top are collected (see picture).

The four air chambers in the berry have another use in addition to buoyancy during harvest: The intact air chambers of high-quality berries let them bounce like a ball. Inferior fruits do not do this, so that as early as 1881 machines were developed to ensure that high-quality fruits jump over a barrier. These are sold as whole fruits.

Economical meaning

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO, around 722,683 t of cranberries were harvested worldwide in 2018. The largest producers were the USA (56.0% of the world harvest), Canada (27.0%) and Chile (14.7%). The largest European producers were Romania and Bulgaria .

Medical importance

The effects of the ingredients in cranberries on urinary tract infections have been studied many times. Some clinical studies show that cranberries and their juice are effective in preventing urinary tract infections and the like. a. with Escherichia coli . A study examining the cost and effectiveness of various cranberry products found that the number of urinary tract infections in 150 sexually active women could be significantly reduced with juice and dry extract.

A meta study by the Cochrane Collaboration from 2008 came to the conclusion that a certain effect has only been proven for young women, but not for older people, men and patients with catheters. A 2011 randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled study that observed the effects of cranberry juice in female college students over a period of six months concluded that taking 8 oz (approximately 200 ml) twice daily Cranberry juice with a concentration of 27 percent did not help against urinary tract infections any better than a placebo juice. However, the extent to which a higher concentration or larger amount produces better results has not been checked. Investigations found no bacteriostatic effects of cranberry juice or urine from people who had consumed cranberry juice.

Active ingredients in cranberries can prevent bacteria from adhering to the surfaces of the urinary tract. The pathogens cannot find a hold and can be flushed out with the urine. A corresponding anti-adhesive effect has been proven. It is unclear, however, whether the pathogens that pili have the ability to adhere to surfaces are the most important pathogens causing urinary tract infections. Not all pathogens that cause infections have fimbriae. These seem to be less important for bladder infections than for kidney infections . On the other hand, it has been proven that consuming cranberries increases the level of anti-inflammatory salicylic acid in urine and plasma, while salicylic acid and other organic acids that are excreted again acidify the urine, which can inhibit the multiplication of germs. Increased fluid intake or a diuretic effect simultaneously lead to a rapid flushing out or dilution of the germ concentration.

The German General Practitioner Society mentions cranberry as a traditional remedy for treating urinary tract infections, but notes that the scientific basis of treatment with herbal drugs is generally poor. In a guideline of the European Society for Urology, cranberry products are mentioned as a measure to prevent urinary tract infections. However, they are rated as inferior to antibiotics.

There is also disagreement about the mechanism of action and the active ingredients of craneberry juice. Cranberries contain powerful antioxidants like proanthocyanidins (PAC). In addition to proanthocyanidins, 1-O-methylgalactose , prunin and phlorizin can also be used as active ingredients . Current studies show that high molecular weight ingredients from the substance class of proanthocyanidins are responsible for the effect on E. coli carrying p- fimbriae . These proanthocyanidins belong to the polyphenolic group of flavanols . In particular, cranberries are mainly oligomers of catechin and epicatechin , which are also known as condensed tannins because of their protein-denaturing properties . The A-shaped cranberry proanthocyanidins have been shown to be responsible for the anti- adhesion effects, while the B-shaped proanthocyanidins show little or no activity in other foods.

These A-shaped PACs differ structurally from the PACs in green tea or chocolate , which have no anti-adhesion effects. In many other fruits examined for this property, too, no ingredients with a comparable anti-adhesive effect could be detected.

According to the journal Caries Research , cranberries can reduce plaque build-up . The effectiveness against oral infections with Streptococcus mutans is based on an inhibition of the biofilm production. Cranberries are not effective against colonization by bacteria in the frontal sinuses or intestines.

Pesticide residues in the berries led to the so-called Great Cranberry Scandal in 1958/59 .

use

In Germany, cranberries are increasingly being discovered as an ingredient in baking, as their tart and sour taste makes them stand out from other ingredients. An example is the replacement of the usual raisins in Christmas cakes.

Fresh or dried, the berries are widespread in North American and Scandinavian cuisine.

Soft fruits, on the other hand, are made into compote or juice (e.g. for use in soft drinks ). The juice is an essential ingredient of the Cosmopolitan Cocktail .

Internationally, like sultanas , the cranberry is often used as a fruit in muesli bars or yoghurts. In addition, it is often soaked in other fruit flavors, so that its own taste is often no longer recognizable.

sorts

About 130 varieties of cranberry are known, some with dark red to black colored fruits. However, around 99% of commercially grown fruits come from only around a dozen of the most widely grown varieties. The most important varieties include Ben Lear , Early Black , Howes , McFarlin and Searles .

Diseases

The leaves of the large-fruited cranberries can be colonized by the parasitic fungus Exobasidium perenne .

literature

  • Karl Stoll, Ulrich Gremminger: Special types of fruit. About the wealth of rare, southern and wild fruits. Eugen-Ulmer-Verlag, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-8001-6186-9 .
  • Jules Janick, Robert E. Paull: The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts. CABI, 2008, ISBN 0-85199-638-8 , p. 358 ff.
  • Robert K. Godfrey, Jean W. Wooten: Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Southeastern United States. Dicotyledons, Univ. of Georgia Press, 1981, ISBN 0-8203-0532-4 , pp. 485 f.

Web links

Commons : Large-fruited Cranberry ( Vaccinium macrocarpon )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Cranberry at Merriam-Webster.
  2. ↑ Please, what are cranberries? In: Welt Online. August 7, 2008.
  3. ^ Britannica, 2004.
  4. ↑ Cranberry on apiservices.biz, accessed September 14, 2019.
  5. ↑ A. Narwojsz, M. Tańska, B. Mazur et al .: Fruit Physical Features, Phenolic Compounds Profile and Inhibition Activities of Cranberry Cultivars (Vaccinium macrocarpon) Compared to Wild-Grown Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus). In: Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 74 (3), 2019, pp. 300-306, doi : 10.1007 / s11130-019-00737-7 .
  6. ^ Marianne E. Meyer: Cranberry Power Fruit. 2017, ISBN 978-3-74318159-5 , p. 21.
  7. ^ Paul Smith: The Book of Seeds. Ivy Press, 2018, ISBN 978-1-78240-520-7 , p. 532.
  8. ^ Vaccinium macrocarpum at Tropicos.org. In: IPCN Chromosome Reports . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis
  9. ↑ a b c Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp.  733 .
  10. ^ Online Atlas of the British and Irish Flora at Biological Records Center.
  11. ↑ Mintauts Abolins, Rudite Sausserde, Marta Liepniece, Dace Sterne: Cranberry and blueberry production in Lavia. In: Agronomijas Vestis. 12, 2009, pp. 7-13.
  12. ↑ Crops> Cranberries. In: Official FAO production statistics for 2018. fao.org, accessed on April 22, 2020 .
  13. ↑ L. Stothers: A randomized trial to evaluate effectiveness and cost effectiveness of naturopathic cranberry products as prophylaxis against urinary tract infection in women. In: The Canadian Journal of Urology. (Can. J. Urol.) 9, 2002, pp. 1558-1562.
  14. ↑ N. Cimolai et al. a .: The cranberry and the urinary tract. In: European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. 26, 2007, pp. 767-776.
  15. ↑ RG Jepson, JC Craig: Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections . In: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Chichester 2008, 1, Art. CD001321, doi : 10.1002 / 14651858.CD001321.pub4 .
  16. ↑ C. Barbosa-Cesnik, MB Brown, M. Buxton, L. Zhang, J. DeBusscher, B. Foxman: Cranberry Juice Fails to Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection. Results From a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial. In: Clinical Infectious Diseases . 52 (1), 2001, pp. 23-30, doi : 10.1093 / cid / ciq073 .
  17. ^ R. Monroy-Torres, AE Macias: Does cranberry juice have bacteriostatic activity? In: Revista de investigación clínica. (Rev Invest Clin.) 57, 2005, pp. 442-446, PMID 16187705 (English abstract, article in Spanish).
  18. ↑ AE Sobota: Inhibition of bacterial adherence by cranberry juice: potential use for the treatment of urinary tract infections. In: The Journal of urology. Volume 131, Number 5, May 1984, pp. 1013-1016, PMID 6368872 .
  19. ↑ K. Gupta, MY Chou, A. Howell, C. Wobbe, R. Grady, AE Stapleton: Cranberry products inhibit adherence of p-fimbriated Escherichia coli to primary cultured bladder and vaginal epithelial cells. In: The Journal of urology. Volume 177, number 6, June 2007, pp. 2357-2360, doi : 10.1016 / j.juro.2007.01.114 , PMID 17509358 , PMC 3684265 (free full text).
  20. ^ JA Silverman, HL Schreiber, TM Hooton, SJ Hultgren: From physiology to pharmacy: developments in the pathogenesis and treatment of recurrent urinary tract infections. In: Current urology reports. Volume 14, number 5, October 2013, pp. 448-456, doi : 10.1007 / s11934-013-0354-5 , PMID 23832844 , PMC 3797163 (free full text) (review).
  21. ↑ RH Latham, WE Stamm: Role of fimbriated Escherichia coli in urinary tract infections in adult women, correlation with localization studies. In: The Journal of Infectious Diseases . 149 (6), 1984, pp. 835-840, doi : 10.1093 / infdis / 149.6.835 .
  22. ↑ GG Duthie: Increased salicylate concentrations in urine of human volunteers after consumption of cranberry juice. In: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry . (J. Agric. Food Chem.) 53 (8), 2005, pp. 2897-2900, doi : 10.1021 / jf040393b .
  23. ↑ Burning sensation when urinating. Guideline of the German Society for General Practice (DEGAM) (PDF), accessed June 21, 2011.
  24. ↑ M. Grabe et al. a .: Guidelines on The Management of Urinary and Male Genital Tract Infections. In: European Association of Urology. Amsterdam 2008, accessed July 20, 2008.
  25. ↑ YF Chu, RH Liu: Cranberries inhibit LDL oxidation and induce LDL receptor expression in hepatocytes. In: Life Sciences . 77, 2005, pp. 1892-1901, doi : 10.1016 / j.lfs.2005.04.002 .
  26. ^ I. Ofek et al. a .: Anti-Escherichia adhesion activity of cranberry and blueberry juices. In: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. 408, 1996, pp. 179-183.
  27. ↑ LY Foo et al. a .: A-Type proanthocyanidin trimers from cranberry that inhibit adherence of uropathogenic P-fimbriated Escherichia coli. In: Journal of Natural Products . 63, 2000, pp. 1225-1228.
  28. ↑ J. Hutchinson: Do cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections? In: Nursing Times. 101 (47), 2000, pp. 38-40, PMID 16329274 .
  29. ^ DM Lynch: Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infections . In: American Family Physician. 70 (11), 2004, p. 2175.
  30. ↑ AB Howell et al. a .: A-type cranberry proanthocyanidins and uropathogenic bacterial anti-adhesion activity. In: Phytochemistry . 66 (18), 2005, pp. 2281-2291, doi : 10.1016 / j.phytochem.2005.05.022 .
  31. ↑ A. Turner et al. a .: Inhibition of uropathogenic Escherichia coli by cranberry juice. A new antiadherence assay. In: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry . 53 (23), 2005, pp. 8940-8947, doi : 10.1021 / jf052035u .
  32. ↑ H. Koo et al. a .: Influence of Cranberry Juice on Glucan-Mediated Processes Involved in Streptococcus mutans Biofilm Development. In: Caries Research . 40 (1), 2006, pp. 20-27, doi : 10.1159 / 000088901 .
  33. ↑ T. Kontokiari: Cranberry juice and bacterial colonization in children - a placebo-controlled randomized trial. In: Clinical nutrition. 24 (6), 2005, pp. 1065-1072, doi : 10.1016 / j.clnu.2005.08.009 .
  34. ↑ The Tricks of the Food Industry on YouTube , December 29, 2016.
  35. ↑ Pollinating: Raisins become blackberries on YouTube , March 29, 2016.
  36. ↑ Species description, ( Memento of the original from November 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Univ. of Georgia @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.uga.edu
  37. ^ Nancy L. Nickerson: A previously unreported disease of cranberries caused by Exobasidium perenne sp. nov. In: Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology. 6, 1984, pp. 218-220.