Not only manganese, but fruit component effects dictate the efficiency of fruit juice as an oral magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent

Several fruit juices are used as oral contrast agents to improve the quality of images in magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Here, we investigate the origin of the contrast of blueberry juice, analyze the parameters that can effect it, and elucidate the differences with pineapple juice and manganese(II) solutions. It appears that, although manganese(II) is the paramagnetic ion responsible for the contrast, it is the interaction of manganese(II) with other juice components that modulates the efficiency of the juice as a magnetic resonance contrast agent.