A chondroitin is a
chondrin derivative.
Types include:
*
Chondroitin sulfate
*
Dermatan sulfate
Chondroitin as a supplement is now commonly used (often in combination with
glucosamine) in treating the joint disease of
osteoarthritis.
In contrast to the symptomatic treatments, chondroitin can modify the progression of a disease process in the patient which it can be used as an alternative medicine.
Chondroitin's effect toward the articular cartilage integrity as it is part of the
proteoglycan
Proteoglycans are proteins that are heavily glycosylated. The basic proteoglycan unit consists of a "core protein" with one or more covalently attached glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain(s). The point of attachment is a serine (Ser) residue to whic ...
molecules.
The cartilage proteoglycan synthesis can speed up as chondroitin is going through the pathway of the alimentary canal.
Research has been conducted to show the effectiveness of chondroitin and results indicate that it helps to manage pain in knee and hip, slow down the progression and also recovery.
However, the effectiveness of the drugs is still doubtful.
References
{{Glycosaminoglycans
Glycosaminoglycans