Dietary Supplements

The purpose of this study is to test whether a natural product supplement can potentiate the increase in collagen synthesis following the ingestion of collagen protein. The investigators have developed a model of natural (GRAS certified) products that stimulate collagen synthesis, in vitro. The investigators will determine whether the natural product supplement can potentiate the collagen synthetic response to the ingestion of collagen protein. Basal and fed serum will be isolated and these samples will be used to treat human engineered ligaments.

The main goals of the exploratory, cross-sectional survey among vegans are to reveal influencing factors, sources of information gathering, reasons for choosing certain dietary supplements of pregnant vegans and parents, difficulties in administering dietary supplements to children, and the compliance of dietary supplements of vegans, because there is no data available yet. Results serve as a starting point for comprehensive information provision for surveyed vegans and provide insight into the nutritional knowledge of vegans. The advisory role of the medical experts is essential to provide vegans with reliable information on a balanced vegan diet and dietary supplements. The opinion of medical experts has a decisive influence on the health of vegans. For this reason the content of their advice will be assessed. The main questions the study aims to answer are: Do vegan pregnant women and parents know about possible nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy and childhood and who do they turn to for information about nutritional supplements? What is the quality of the information received?

The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of oral supplementation with a nutraceutical containing Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, and Manganese in functional outcome and pain reduction in cases of shoulder rotator cuff tendinopathy compared to a cycle of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections. The project involves the recruitment of 50 adult individuals presenting with shoulder pain and instrumental evidence of rotator cuff tendinopathy. All participants will receive one intra-articular injection of 1 ml of triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg. After the injection, participants will be divided into two groups according to Good Clinical Practice guidelines. One group will begin taking one vial per day for 56 days of an oral supplement containing Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, Vitamin C, and Manganese (HA-COL) (Tendogenial®, B2Pharma) starting from the day following enrollment (Group 1). The other group will undergo a cycle of 3 intra-articular injections with hyaluronic acid (HA) (Hyalotend®, Fidia) (Group 2). The hypothesis is that oral supplementation with HA-COL may have the same efficacy as intra-articular hyaluronic acid treatment in reducing pain and improving shoulder functionality. Functional assessments will be conducted by a clinician unaware of the participants' group assignment. The following assessment scales will be used: Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for pain (from 0 to 10), evaluating 3 aspects of pain: 1) pain at rest, 2) nocturnal pain, 3) pain during movement. Shoulder Disability Questionnaire (SDQ) for functionality. Assessments will be conducted at the following time points: T0) Before the administration of corticosteroid intra-articular injection (baseline). T1) Seven days after the start of HA-COL intake for Group 1 and before the first intra-articular HA injection for Group 2 (T1, seven days from T0). T2) At mid-cycle of oral HA-COL supplementation for Group 1 (28 days of intake) and seven days after the last HA injection for Group 2 (T2, 21 days from T1). T3) Follow-up at 28 days from T2, at the end of the 56-day oral treatment cycle for Group 1, and 28 days after the last injection for Group 2 (T3, 56 days from T0).