SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Brightseed, the bioactives company and creator of Forager® AI, in partnership with Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., the agricultural cooperative owned by roughly 700 farmer families, today announced the discovery of novel bioactive compounds in cranberries based on Forager’s in silico findings that will undergo deeper clinical validation. The findings will be presented in a poster session by Ocean Spray research scientists at the American Society of Nutrition’s (ASN) NUTRITION 2024 conference on June 30, 2024, at 11:45 am CDT in Chicago, IL.
Cranberries have long been considered a superfruit, are celebrated as a rich source of polyphenols with high antioxidant activity, and carry enormous potential for health and wellness. With the Forager AI platform, Brightseed and Ocean Spray identified multiple bioactives that have yet to be extensively studied in cranberries and hold enormous human health potential, including terpenes.
“Ocean Spray has a longstanding commitment to leading scientific exploration of cranberries and the various ways consumers can benefit from their consumption,” says Katy Galle, Senior Vice President of Research & Development and Sustainability at Ocean Spray. “Our work with Brightseed’s Forager AI platform has dramatically enhanced our ability to identify and verify the various bioactive compounds found within specific cranberry varieties that can impact new areas of health, such as cognition and immunity.”
Led by Ocean Spray research scientists Lindsey Christman, Ph.D., and Christina Khoo, Ph.D., and Brightseed scientist, Chuan Wang, Ph.D., the poster presentation titled, “Decoding the Total Bioactive Health Potential of the Cranberry Through AI,” will demonstrate the collective work between Ocean Spray and Brightseed to uncover hidden health benefits of cranberries. As part of the research, Brightseed’s Forager AI platform analyzed six cranberry samples of different varieties and growing regions to predict compounds and their associations with human health. Forager AI predicted four times more phytonutrients related to new areas of human health potential that Ocean Spray and Brightseed will investigate further through pre-clinical and clinical validation.
“Ocean Spray’s dedication to innovation and focus on improving human health has been a continued motivator for our partnership. This latest research further validates Forager’s impact on food and nutrition and the way in which we are producing and sourcing food,” said Mary Beth Miranda, PhD., Director of Business Development, Brightseed. “Forager was able to highlight unique compounds within cranberries and give us information about linked health benefits that were previously not studied or found, shedding more light on the power that superfruits like cranberries can hold. Our continued work with Ocean Spray will enable us to better understand the additional health benefits of cranberries and support their efforts to bring improved nutrition to consumers.”
Since 2021, Brightseed and Ocean Spray have been working together to decode the total health potential of the cranberry. Leveraging Forager AI, Ocean Spray and Brightseed will continue to profile and validate potential bioactive compounds in cranberries, and surface new connections that impact human health.
To learn more about the power of the cranberry, visit www.oceanspray.com. To learn more about Brightseed, visit www.brightseedbio.com.
ABOUT OCEAN SPRAY
In 1930, Ocean Spray® was founded by three maverick farmers – bonded by bold cranberry love. Since then, we’ve grown into a vibrant global agricultural cooperative built on the strength of roughly 700 family farmers in the United States, Canada, and Chile. Together, we’ve worked to preserve the family farming way of life for nearly 100 years, and for generations to come. Today, our cranberries show up in more than a thousand deliciously nourishing products in over 100 countries worldwide. United by passion and purpose, Ocean Spray is committed to trailblazing the power of the mighty cranberry through its offbeat taste and uncanny nutrition to feed better, happier lives for all. Born Tart. Raised Bold.™
About Brightseed
Brightseed®, the bioactives company, is a World Economic Global Innovator that illuminates nature to restore human health. Brightseed’s proprietary AI, Forager®, accelerates bioactive discovery, biological validation, and ingredient formulation from years to months, rapidly revealing new connections between nature and humanity. Brightseed produces clinically proven bioactives for dietary supplements, food & beverage CPG, specialty nutrition and medical foods to power proactive health worldwide. Learn more at brightseedbio.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Serene Buckley,
Head of Communication, Brightseed
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/30676ecd-0b7a-4664-aeb4-7e3dced589c7