Chondroprotective potential of root extracts of Withania somnifera in osteoarthritis.

This is the first report describing two novel chondroprotective activities of aqueous extracts of Withania somnifera root powder.First,these extracts had a statistically significant,short-term chondroprotective effect on damaged human osteoarthritic cartilage matrix in 50% of the patients tested. Second,these extracts caused a significant and reproducible inhibition of the gelatinase activity of collagenase type 2 enzyme in vitro.