Figure 1.

Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) production of 3D human osteoarthritic chondrocyte pellet cultures after two weeks in chondro-permissive medium supplemented with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) compounds. Glycosaminoglycan content was normalized to the amount of DNA. The most effective doses of compounds which could promote GAG production versus control vehicle (C vehicle) group in 3/3 donors are shown; for each donor three experimental replicates were analyzed. For statistical analysis using Graphpad Prism, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Dunnett’s post hoc test (multiple comparison) was applied. ** p < 0.001, *** p < 0.0005, **** p < 0.0001 versus control vehicle. Vanilic acid (VA), Epimedin A (Epi A) and C (Epi C), 2′′-O-rhamnosylicariside II (2-O-rhs II), Icariin, Psoralidin (PS), Protocatechuicaldehyde (PCA), 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF).