Management of Osteoarthritis and Joint Support Using Feed Supplements: A Scoping Review of Undenatured Type II Collagen and Boswellia serrata

Abstract

In the multimodal management of osteoarthritis (OA) in recent decades, the use of feed supplements to maintain joint cartilage has been advocated. The aim of this scoping review is to present the results found in the veterinary literature on the use of undenatured type II collagen and Boswellia serrata in dogs, specifically its use in dogs with clinical signs of OA, healthy dogs after intense exercise or dogs with diseases that predispose the individual to OA. For this purpose, a literature review was carried out using the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar, from which a total of 26 records were included in this review: fourteen evaluating undenatured type II collagen, ten evaluating Boswellia serrata and two evaluating the combination of undenatured type II collagen and Boswellia serrata. The review of the records showed that undenatured type II collagen decreases the clinical signs associated with OA, improving the general clinical state with a reduction in the degree of lameness and increase in physical activity or mobility. Evaluating the response to supplementation with Boswellia serrata alone is complicated due to the limited publication of studies and variations in the purity and compositions of the products used, but in general terms, its combination with other feed supplements produces benefits by relieving pain and reducing the clinical signs of OA in dogs. The combination of both in the same product provides results similar to those obtained in undenatured type II collagen studies. In conclusion, undenatured type II collagen and Boswellia serrata are considered a valid option for the multimodal approach to the management of OA and for improving activity during intense exercise, but more studies are needed to conclude whether or not it prevents OA in dogs.

Keywords: Boswellia serrata; UC-II®; Undenatured type II collagen; feed supplements; joint degeneration; joint inflammation; osteoarthritis.

Figure 1

Flowchart of the selection process for scientific records to be analysed in this review.