A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of a Hydrolyzed Chicken Collagen Type II Supplement in Alleviating Joint Discomfort

Enriched characteristics of poultry collagen over other sources of collagen and its extraction methods: A review

Collagen is the most abundant protein in animals and is extensively studied for its structural and thermal stability, biocompatibility, and healing properties which enables them to be widely applied in various fields. Collagen extracted from poultry sources have shown improved structural stability and reduced risk of triggering allergic responses and transmitting animal diseases onto humans. Furthermore, poultry collagen is widely accepted by consumers of diverse beliefs in comparison to collagen extracted from bovine and porcine sources. The review aims to compare different sources of collagen, focusing on the various beneficial characteristics of poultry collagen over the other sources. Moreover, the review explains various pre-treatment and extraction methods of poultry collagen and its versatile applications in different industrial sectors.

Efficacy and safety of collagen derivatives for osteoarthritis: A trial sequential meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the efficacy and safety of collagen derivatives for osteoarthritis.

DESIGN

PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched till June 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating collagen derivatives for treating osteoarthritis. Data were independently extracted by two authors. The risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed within a frequentist framework. The certainty of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach.

RESULTS

A total of 35 RCTs involving 3165 patients were included. The main analysis of the primary outcome was based on 25 RCTs involving 2856 patients. Collagen derivatives exerted small-to-moderate effects on pain alleviation (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.48 to -0.22, moderate certainty) and function improvement (SMD -0.31, 95%CI -0.41 to -0.22, high certainty) compared with the control. Collagen derivatives were safe; they did not increase the risk of withdrawal or adverse events compared with the control. The trial sequential analyses indicated that this study had sufficient statistical power for deriving definitive conclusions, confirming the robustness of our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Strong evidence supports the efficacy and safety of collagen derivatives for osteoarthritis treatment.

Evidence of Immunomodulatory Food-Protein Derived Peptides in Human Nutritional Interventions: Review on the Outcomes and Potential Limitations

The immune system is somehow related to all the metabolic pathways, in a bidirectional way, and the nutritional interventions affecting these pathways might have a relevant impact on the inflammatory status of the individuals. Food-derived peptides have been demonstrated to exert several bioactivities by in vitro or animal studies. Their potential to be used as functional food is promising, considering the simplicity of their production and the high value of the products obtained. However, the number of human studies performed until now to demonstrate effects in vivo is still scarce. Several factors must be taken into consideration to carry out a high-quality human study to demonstrate immunomodulatory-promoting properties of a test item. This review aims to summarize the recent human studies published in which the purpose was to demonstrate bioactivity of protein hydrolysates, highlighting the main results and the limitations that can restrict the relevance of the studies. Results collected are promising, although in some studies, physiological changes could not be observed. When responses were observed, they sometimes did not refer to relevant parameters and the immunomodulatory properties could not be clearly established with the current evidence. Well-designed clinical trials are needed in order to evaluate the role of protein hydrolysates in immunonutrition.

Development of a mobile application to monitor the effectiveness of a hydrolyzed cartilage matrix supplement on joint discomfort: a real-life study

BACKGROUND

Joint discomfort is a widespread and growing problem in active adults. The rising interest in preventative nutrition has increased the demand for supplements reducing joint discomfort. Protocols assessing the effect of a nutritional intervention on health commonly involve a series of face-to-face meetings between participants and study staff that can weigh on resources, participant availabilities and even increase drop-out rates. Digital tools are increasingly added to protocols to facilitate study conduct but fully digitally run studies are still scarce. With the increasing interest in real-life studies, the development of health applications for mobile devices to monitor study outcomes could be of great importance.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the current real-life study was to develop a specific mobile application, Ingredients for LifeTM, to conduct a 100% digital study testing the effectiveness of a hydrolyzed cartilage matrix (HCM) supplement on joint discomfort in a heterogeneous group of healthy, active consumers.

METHODS

The 'Ingredients for LifeTM ' mobile app using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was specifically developed to monitor the variation in joint pain after exercise by the study participants. A total of 201 healthy and physically active, adult women and men (18 to 72 years old) with joint pain completed the study over a period of 16 weeks. Participants were randomly allocated to the study groups and did not receive any dietary or lifestyle advice. Each participant indicated one area of joint pain and logged the type and duration of their weekly activities. They received blinded study supplements and took a daily regimen of 1 g of hydrolyzed cartilage matrix (HCM-G) or 1g of maltodextrin (placebo group; P-G) for 12 weeks while weekly logging joint pain scores in the app. This was followed by a 4-week wash out period during which participants continued reporting their joint pain scores (until the end of week 16).

RESULTS

Joint pain was reduced within 3 weeks of taking a low dosage of HCM (1g/day), regardless of gender, age group and activity intensity when compared to the placebo-group. After stopping supplementation, joint pain scores gradually increased but still remained significantly lower than placebo after 4 weeks of washout. The low dropout rate (< 6% of participants, mainly in the P-G) demonstrates the digital study was well received by the study population.

CONCLUSIONS

The digital tool allowed to measure a heterogeneous group of active adults in a real-life setting (without any lifestyle intervention), thus promoting inclusivity and diversity. With low dropout rates, it demonstrates that mobile applications can generate qualitative, quantifiable, real-world data showcasing supplement effectiveness. The study confirmed that the oral intake of a low dose (1g/day) of HCM led to a significant reduction of joint pain from 3 weeks after starting supplementation.

CLINICALTRIAL

Effects of Non-Essential Amino Acids on Knee Joint Conditions in Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Joint problems impair performance during exercise and daily activities and influence quality of life. The present study aimed to examine the effects of a combination of six non-essential amino acids (6AA) on joint conditions in an adult population. A total of 50 participants aged between 20 and 64 years with joint discomfort but no diagnosed joint disorder were randomly and blindly assigned to a control or 6AA group. The 6AA group took 12 g of the non-essential amino acid formulation orally (4 g three times a day) and the control group took equivalent doses of a placebo. Each group maintained the daily dose for 12 weeks. Primary outcome measures were evaluated with the visual analogue scale (VAS), the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM), and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA). These tests were taken before the experiment began at 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the intervention. The results of the VAS indicated that 6AA improved joint pain, discomfort, and stiffness both during a resting state and during normal activity. Participants' scores on the JKOM and JOA also showed significant improvements in the group that had taken the 6AA supplement. These results demonstrate that 6AA improves symptoms of joint problems, such as pain, discomfort, stiffness, and difficulty in performing daily activities after 4 weeks of daily consumption.