Glucosamine, Chondroitin with MSM Product Details:Best Glucosamine Sulfate contains pure glucosamine sulfate, as confirmed by HPLC testing. Glucosamine sulfate consists of glucosamine, an amino sugar extracted from "chitin," a component of shellfish skeletons. ("Chitin," the resilient polysaccharide that forms the structural framework of animal shells, is a long-chain polymer consisting of many glucosamine molecules linked together.) The purified glucosamine is then sulfated and stabilized with potassium chloride. Note: Glucosamine sulfate is derived from the shells of ocean-growing shellfish. It is processed to remove all residues of protein and impurities, yielding pure glucosamine sulfate as the final material.Glucosamine, Chondroitin with MSM contains chondroitin sulfate with a purity of 90 percent or greater. Quality assurance testing is performed using two sophisticated laboratory analysis methods: 1) HPLC and 2) C.P.C. Titration, a newly developed method now accepted as the most definitive test for chondroitin sulfate. Lignisul MSM is natural-source MSM derived from trees. A biological compound that occurs in the human body and in some foods, MSM is an excellent dietary source of bioavailable organic sulfur.Understanding the EffectsCartilage contains connective tissue composed of cells (chondrocytes), protein fibers (chiefly collagen) and clusters of complex molecules called "proteoglycans." Proteoglycan molecules are formed from long proteins (polypeptides) with numerous side chains. (The proteoglycan structure looks like a bottle brush.) The attached side chains, chiefly chondroitin sulfate and keratin sulfate, are long polysaccharide molecules called "glycosaminoglycans." 1,2 Glucosamine is a key component of keratin sulfate, and it can be converted to galactosamine, which, along with glucuronic acid, forms chondroitin sulfate.