Analysis of dietary supplements: turbidimetric titration of chondroitin sulfate

Chondroitin sulfate is a dietary supplement which is available as the sodium salt in the form of capsules or tablets. In the field of alternative medicine, the intake of chondroitin sulfate is recommended as treatment for degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. According to the United States Pharmacopeia, the determination of sodium chondroitin sulfate in dietary supplements is performed by turbidimetric titration using the DP5 Phototrode.

What are dietary supplements?

Dietary supplements are commonly used to complement the daily diet by increasing the intake of ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and metabolites. Generally, they are ingested in the form of capsules, effervescent tablets or syrups. Well known examples of dietary supplement include multivitamins and minerals.

Today, a wide range of products are available whose composition is not only limited to a single active ingredient but includes vitamins, minerals, other nutrients, botanical supplements, as well as ingredients and extracts of animal and plant origin [1]. People use nutritional supplements with the aim of improving general health and also in the hope of treating a specific disease, since it is also believed that their use results, in some cases, in a cure. Recently, an increasing demand by consumers as well as evidence that some of these supplements actually help patients, has increased the production of dietary supplements. In parallel, the need for accurate quality control in the production plant has also increased: rapid, robust and accurate analytical techniques are needed to achieve efficient control in the production line.

Chondroitin sulfate, CS, is a dietary supplement which is available as the sodium salt from drugstores, groceries and pharmacies in the form of capsules or tablets. Although the medical community is not yet convinced of its effectiveness, it is currently used by consumers to treat the pain resulting from osteoarthritis. In fact, it has been shown in medical studies that chondroitin sulfate is helpful in treating this disease, and it was also reported that patients with back and neck pain have also considered the use of this nutritional supplement as an alternative treatment to traditional medicine [1].

Why chondroitin sulfate as a dietary supplement?

Chondroitin sulfate is a constituent of cartilage, i.e. of the structure covering the ends of the bones, which protects them from mechanical friction and absorbs shocks. In particular, cartilaginous proteins lubricate the joints to prevent damage during movement. To improve their shock absorption and lubricating characteristics, polysaccharides are bound to cartilaginous proteins, with each polysaccharide consisting of hundreds of sugar molecules. The function of chondroitin sulfate, a complex polysaccharide, is to provide structure, hold water and nutrients, and to allow other molecules to move through the cartilage. This is an essential property, since no blood is present in the cartilage to allow for exchange of metabolites.

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