What is Chondroitin Sulfate

Chondroitin sulfate is a dietary supplement. It is naturally found polymer of linear repeating units containing D-galactosamine and D-glucuronic acid. Chondroitin sulfate belongs to a family of heteropolysaccharides called glycosaminoglycans or GAGs. Chondroitin sulfate A is found in humans in cartilage, bone, cornea, skin and the arterial wall. Chondroitin sulfate B is also known as dermatan sulfate. It is abundant in skin and is also found in heart valves, tendons and arterial walls. Chondroitin sulfate C is primarily found in fish and shark cartilage. Chondroitin sulfate is not a small molecule but a large polymer which contains between 15 to 150 basic units of D-galactosamine and D-glucuronic acid.