A food supplement of hydrolyzed collagen improves compositional and biodynamic characteristics of vertebrae in ovariectomized rats.

Collagen hydrolysates (CHs) are mixtures of peptides obtained by partial hydrolysis of gelatins that are receiving scientific attention as potential oral supplements for the recovery of osteoarticular tissues. The effect of supplementing the diets with a CH was assessed in 48 ovariectomized rats by analyzing the compositional and biomechanical characteristics of the bone. Six groups of rats (three ovariectomized, one sham-operated, and two intact) were fed a standard diet, supplemented with either CH or gelatin (Control), at two levels: a dose equivalent to five times the amount suggested for humans (10 g/day) or another 10 times greater.