Single-Laboratory Validation for Determination of Total Soluble Proanthocyanidins in Cranberry Using 4-Dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde

American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is native to Eastern North America. Recent studies have suggested that the A-type proanthocyanidins (PACs) in cranberries are effective in preventing urinary tract infection. To meet the growing interest in the cranberry market, an accurate, reliable, and simple method to determine PAC concentration is needed. In this study, a modified method using 4-dimethylaminocinnamaldehyde to quantify total PACs in cranberry products was validated. Cranberry juice extract powder, cranberry capsules containing juice extract, and cranberry juice concentrate were used as the samples in this study. With the modified method, the calibration curves for proanthocyanidin A2 had correlation coefficients (r(2)) of >0.99. The recoveries of two different concentrations after spiking were 97.1 and 99.1%, and the RSDs for repeatability and reproducibility were <2.7 and <1.6%, respectively.