INSECT PROTEIN COMPOSITION FOR THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF OSTEARTHRITIS

The invention relates to an insect protein composition for use as a medicament, or for use in a method for the prophylaxis or treatment of inflammation, osteoarthritis, synovial inflammation, synovial macrophage activation, macrophage-induced synovial damage, or low-grade inflammatory disease of a joint. Typically, the insect is black soldier fly larvae. Typically, the protein is water-soluble protein and/or enzymatically hydrolysed protein. Preferably, the composition comprises glucosamine. As part of the invention, the insect protein composition inhibits and/or prevents macrophage activation, and/or prevents or inhibits macrophage-induced synovial damage, and/or inhibits and/or prevents cell lysis and/or inhibits and/or prevents reactive oxygen species formation by a cell and/or comprises glucosamine. The invention also relates to a food or feed supplement, ingredient or product, comprising the insect protein composition. Furthermore, the invention relates to a non-therapeutic method of prevention against, providing relief from or amelioration of a joint problem in a human subject or an animal such as a horse, a pet such as a dog or a cat, preferably a human subject or a dog, the method comprising orally administering to the human subject or the animal the insect protein composition. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the insect protein composition, and to the pharmaceutical composition for use as a medicament and for use in the treatment or prevention of osteoarthritis.