Chondroitin sulfate sodium (Chondroitin polysulfate sodium) is a naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan extracted from animal cartilage that is used as a food supplement with antitumor activity, reduces inflammatory mediators and apoptotic processes, and decreases the production of inflammatory cytokines, iNOS, and MMPs, and may be used in the study of Osteoarthritis.

Chondroitin sulfate sodium is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan composed of glyoxylate and N-acetylhexosamine with a linear polysaccharide structure. A variety of pathogens infect host cells by attaching chains of Chondroitin sulfate to the cell surface. [1]
Chondroitin sulfate sodium occurs naturally in the extracellular matrix of connective tissues, including bone and cartilage, and has anti-inflammatory effects, helping to promote the production of type II collagen and proteoglycans, delaying bone resorption and improving the balance of synthesis and catabolism in chondrocytes. [2]
In vitro, Chondroitin sulfate sodium has been used in a wide range of concentrations, usually below 200 mg/mL. In particular, at 200 mg/mL, Chondroitin sulfate sodium can reduce the sensitivity of chondrocytes to apoptotic stimuli. [3]
Chondroitin sulfate sodium effectively reduced the release of inflammatory mediators and the occurrence of apoptosis, and decreased the protein expression of inflammatory cytokines, iNOS and MMPs. [4]

In cartilage tissue, high levels of Chondroitin sulfate are essential for providing resistance to tensile stress under varying loading conditions, thus imparting the necessary tensile strength and elasticity to cartilage. Research has shown that Chondroitin sulfate sodium is able to influence the process of structural change in joint tissue and is therefore used in the treatment of osteoarthritis. [3]
Typically, Chondroitin sulfate sodium is administered in oral doses of 800 to 1200 mg/day and is rapidly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract, after which it enters the bloodstream as approximately 10% Chondroitin sulfate in its original form and 90% as a depolymerized, low molecular weight derivative. [5]