Researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Medicine said the discovery’s unique actions suggest a broad set of applications in various joint, skin and gastrointestinal diseases, including osteoarthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.

The new product, now named Progrado, is an extract from Croton palanostigma trees that prevents cartilage destruction by molecular scissors called matrix metalloproteinases. The researchers said the enzymes cut collagen, which forms the backbone of the cartilage, into tiny pieces during states of inflammation and alter the fabric that holds tissues together.

"This is an exciting finding," said Professor Tariq Haqqi, the lead investigator and senior author of the study. "This is the first time a natural product has been shown to directly block these molecular scissors, while showing potential to stimulate repair. This is a testament to the wound healing properties of this traditional medicine and the distinctive therapeutic opportunities that nature offers."

Haqqi and his research partner -- Paul Bobrowski of Rainforest Nutritionals Inc., in Raleigh, N.C. -- reported their findings in the Journal of Inflammation.