chondroitin

2022-02-09 16:30:00

Chondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composed of alternating sugar chains (N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid). It is often found to be attached to proteins as part of the proteoglycan. Chondroitin chains can have more than 100 individual sugars, each of which can be sulfated in a different location and amount. Chondroitin sulfate is an important structural component of cartilage and provides great compressive resistance. Along with glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate has become a widely used dietary supplement for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

The function of chondroitin depends largely on the nature of the whole proteoglycan to which it belongs. These features can be broadly divided into structural and administrative roles. However, this division is not absolute, and some proteoglycans have structural and managerial effects.