The present review examines the role of collagen hydrolysates in the treatment and prevention of joint diseases. Collagen is the main structural protein of bones, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons in joints. Hydrolyzed collagen, as a source of specific amino acids, can be a building material for the formation of collagen fibrils in connective tissues. Enzymatic hydrolysis of chicken cartilage made it possible to obtain a complex of collagen type II hydrolysate and glycosaminoglycans. In clinical studies, hydrolysates of cutaneous collagen, type II cartilaginous collagen, and type II non-denatured cartilaginous collagen were tested. The use of collagen hydrolysates for a long time (5-6 months) allowed for improving the functioning of the knee joint in patients not only with mild but also with severe osteoarthritis. Nutraceuticals from type II collagen hydrolysates in combination with vitamin C more effectively affect the formation of collagen fibrils, and proteoglycans in the cartilage matrix and thus can affect the increase in joint mobility. Nutriciology, as a branch of modern biopharmaceutics, represents its new direction and explores possible mechanisms and ways to prevent human diseases.
