Crucial role of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate from hybrid sturgeon cartilage in osteoarthritis improvement: Focusing on apoptosis, systemic inflammation, and intestinal flora.

Low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate (CS) has gained considerable attention for its superior bioactivity compared to native CS. In this study, the mechanisms of low molecular weight chondroitin sulfate from hybrid sturgeon cartilage (LMSCS), prepared using the HO/Vc system, on the remission of osteoarthritis (OA) were investigated both in in vitro and in vivo. A Caco-2/SW1353 co-culture cell model and a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA mouse model were used to validate its inhibited apoptosis, anti-inflammatory effects, and intestinal flora modulation.