THE POSSIBLE CHONDROPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF THE UNSAPONIFIABLE CONSTITUENTS OF AVOCADO AND SOYA IN-VIVO

An experimental in vivo model for studying cartilage destruction has b een used to study the possible chondroprotective effect of the unsapon ifiable constituents of avocado, soya and their combination at a ratio of 1:2 The method consists of implanting rat articular cartilage wrap ped in cotton subcutaneously in mice, treating the animals daily for 2 weeks with the preparations in question, then sacrificing the animals and measuring some biochemical parameters related to cartilage integr ity. The chosen parameters involved the glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyp roline content of the cartilage, as well as the hydroxyproline content of beta-D-glucosaminidase activity of the granulomatous tissue induce d by the cotton covering the cartilage. The unsaponifiables of both av ocado and soya significantly reduced the degenerative changes induced by the granuloma tissue on the implanted cartilage in control animals as reflected by the preservation of the glycosaminoglycan and hydroxyp roline content, and also reduced the proliferation of hydroxyproline a nd beta-D-glucosaminidase activity of the granulomatous tissue. The ef fect was even more marked when animals were treated with the combinati on of the two unsaponifiables at a 1:2 ratio. The preservation of the cartilage from destruction may have been associated with a diminished release of inflammatory mediators due to the effect of the unsaponifia bles. In this context, the results point to a possible ''chondroprotec tive'' effect of these agents in vivo. This is in keeping with previou s reports of chondroprotection by these unsaponifiables in vitro. The effect of the fixed dose combination in the 1:2 ratio was dose depende nt.