Change in Serum Biomarkers in Patients with Osteoarthritis treated with Collagen Hydrolysate: Results of a Prospective Randomized Study

Collagen hydrolysate is a nutritional supplement that is used for the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis. Collagen hydrolysate – chemically speaking – is a mixture of proteins, namely collagen peptides that are manufactured on the basis of skin and bones from cattle, pigs or fish on an industrial scale. Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trials demonstrated that the oral ingestion of 10 grams of collagen hydrolysate per day for the duration of three months decreases pain and improves function of joints in patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

As preclinical work had previously shown that collagen hydrolysate stimulates chondrocytes to synthesize extracellular cartilage matrix in a dose-dependent way, it appeared tempting to test whether collagen hydrolysate apart from improving signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis also exerts an impact on cartilage morphology, i.e. whether – despite being a nutritional supplement – collagen hydrolysate fulfils the properties of a disease-modifying drug, which is the capacity of changing both structure and symptoms.