Avocado Soy Unsaponifiables (ASU)
OTHER NAME(S): ASU, ASU-NMX 1000TM, ASU Expanscience, Avoca ASU, Avosol, Dasuquin, Piascledine 300, Avocado Soy Unsaponifiables, Avocado Soy Unsaponifiables, Insaponificables de soya y aguacate, Insaponifiables d'avocat et de soja (IAS)
Overview
Avocado soy unsaponifiables are certain chemicals that come from mixing one third avocado oil with two thirds soybean oil.
Avocado soy unsaponifiables include chemicals like vitamin E, plant fats, and others. The mixture of these chemicals seems to reduce swelling in the joints and other places in the body.
People use avocado soy unsaponifiables for osteoarthritis. They are also used for back pain, hot flashes, obesity, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.
Don't confuse avocado soy unsaponifiables with compounds made only from avocado, avocado sugar, soybean, or soybean oil. These are not the same.
Uses
Possibly Effective for
- Osteoarthritis. Taking avocado soy unsaponifiables by mouth, short-term, seems to reduce pain and improve function in people with osteoarthritis in the hip or knee. When used long-term, it might help slow down how quickly this condition worsens.
There is interest in using avocado soy unsaponifiables for a number of other purposes, but there isn't enough reliable information to say whether it might be helpful.
Side Effects
When taken by mouth: Avocado soy unsaponifiables are possibly safe. Specific products (Piascledine 300 or Flexi-Smart) have been used safely for up to 3 years. It's usually well-tolerated.
Precautions
When taken by mouth: Avocado soy unsaponifiables are possibly safe. Specific products (Piascledine 300 or Flexi-Smart) have been used safely for up to 3 years. It's usually well-tolerated.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if avocado soy unsaponifiables are safe to use when pregnant or breast feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.
Interactions
We currently have no information for Avocado soy unsaponifiables (ASU) overview.
Dosing
Avocado soy unsaponifiables have most often been used by adults in doses of 300 mg by mouth daily for up to 3 years. Speak with a healthcare provider to find out what dose might be best for a specific condition.
References
- Maheu E, Mazieres B, Valat JP, et al. Symptomatic efficacy of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee and hip: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial with a six-month treatment period and a two-month followup demonstrating a persistent effect. Arthritis Rheum 1998;41:81-91.
- Lequesne M, Maheu E, Cadet C, Dreiser RL. Structural effect of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables on joint space loss in osteoarthritis of the hip. Arthritis Rheum 2002;47:50-8..
- Henrotin YE, Sanchez C, Deberg MA, et al. Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables increase aggrecan synthesis and reduce catabolic and proinflammatory mediator production by human osteoarthritic chondrocytes. J Rheumatol 2003;30:1825-34.
- Appelboom, T., Schuermans, J., Verbruggen, G., Henrotin, Y., and Reginster, J. Y. Symptoms modifying effect of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) in knee osteoarthritis. A double blind, prospective, placebo-controlled study. Scand J Rheumatol 2001;30(4):242-247.
- Kut-Lasserre, C., Miller, C. C., Ejeil, A. L., Gogly, B., Dridi, M., Piccardi, N., Guillou, B., Pellat, B., and Godeau, G. Effect of avocado and soybean unsaponifiables on gelatinase A (MMP-2), stromelysin 1 (MMP-3), and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (. J.Periodontol. 2001;72(12):1685-1694.
- Blotman, F., Maheu, E., Wulwik, A., Caspard, H., and Lopez, A. Efficacy and safety of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables in the treatment of symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. A prospective, multicenter, three-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Rev Rhum Engl Ed 1997;64(12):825-834.
- Henrotin, Y. E., Labasse, A. H., Jaspar, J. M., De Groote, D. D., Zheng, S. X., Guillou, G. B., and Reginster, J. Y. Effects of three avocado/soybean unsaponifiable mixtures on metalloproteinases, cytokines and prostaglandin E2 production by human articular chondrocytes. Clin.Rheumatol. 1998;17(1):31-39.
- Khayyal, M. T. and el Ghazaly, M. A. The possible "chondroprotective" effect of the unsaponifiable constituents of avocado and soya in vivo. Drugs Exp.Clin.Res. 1998;24(1):41-50.
- Boumediene, K., Felisaz, N., Bogdanowicz, P., Galera, P., Guillou, G. B., and Pujol, J. P. Avocado/soya unsaponifiables enhance the expression of transforming growth factor beta1 and beta2 in cultured articular chondrocytes. Arthritis Rheum. 1999;42(1):148-156.
- Christiansen BA, Bhatti S, Goudarzi R, Emami S. Management of osteoarthritis with avocado/soybean unsaponifiables. Cartilage. 2015;6(1):30-44.
- Msika P, Baudouin C, Saunois A, Bauer T. Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables, ASU EXPANSCIENCE, are strictly different from the nutraceutical products claiming ASU appellation. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16(10):1275-6.
- Frondoza CG. Response to letter to editor entitled: "Avocado/soybean unsaponfiables, ASU Expanscience, are strictly different from the nutraceutical products claiming ASU appellation" (4365). Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16(12):1590-1.
- Cornblatt BS. Letter to the editor for "Management of osteoarthritis with avocado/soybean unsaponifiables". Cartilage. 2016;7(1):112-3.
- Christiansen BA, Bhatti S, Goudarzi R, Emami S. Erratum: Response to the letter to the editor for "Management of osteoarthritis with avocado/soybean unsaponifiables". Cartilage. 2016;7(1):114-5.
- Christensen R, Bartels EM, Astrup A, Bliddal H. Symptomatic efficacy of avocado-soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) in osteoarthritis (OA) patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16(4):399-408.
- Maheu E, Cadet C, Marty M, et al. Randomised, controlled trial of avocado-soybean unsaponifiable (Piascledine) effect on structure modification in hip osteoarthritis: the ERADIAS study. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73(2):376-84.
- Catunda IS, Vasconcelos BC, Andrade ES, Costa DF. Clinical effects of an avocado-soybean unsaponifiable extract on arthralgia and osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint: preliminary study. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2016;45(8):1015-22.
- Pavelka K, Coste P, Géher P, Krejci G. Efficacy and safety of piascledine 300 versus chondroitin sulfate in a 6 months treatment plus 2 months observation in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Clin Rheumatol. 2010;29(6):659-70.
- Panahi Y, Beiraghdar F, Kashani N, Baharie Javan N, Dadjo Y. Comparison of piascledine (avocado and soybean oil) and hormone replacement therapy in menopausal-induced hot flashing. Iran J Pharm Res. 2011 Fall;10(4):941-51.
- Martínez-Abundis E, González-Ortiz M, Mercado-Sesma AR, Reynoso-von-Drateln C, Moreno-Andrade A. Effect of avocado soybean unsaponifiables on insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity in patients with obesity. Obes Facts. 2013;6(5):443-8.
- Goudarzi R, Taylor JF, Yazdi PG, Pedersen BA. Effects of Arthrocen, an avocado/soy unsaponifiables agent, on inflammatory mediators and gene expression in human chondrocytes. FEBS Open Bio. 2017 Jan 9;7(2):187-194.
- Oryan A, Mohammadalipour A, Moshiri A, Tabandeh MR. Avocado/soybean unsaponifiables: a novel regulator of cutaneous wound healing, modelling and remodelling. Int Wound J. 2015;12(6):674-85.
- Soliman MF. Evaluation of avocado/soybean unsaponifiable alone or concurrently with praziquantel in murine schistosomiasis. Acta Trop. 2012 Jun;122(3):261-6.
- Oliveira GJ, Paula LG, Souza JA, Spin-Neto R, Stavropoulos A, Marcantonio RA. Effect of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables on ligature-induced bone loss and bone repair after ligature removal in rats. J Periodontal Res. 2016;51(3):332-41.
- Andriamanalijaona R, Benateau H, Barre PE, et al. Effect of interleukin-1beta on transforming growth factor-beta and bone morphogenetic protein-2 expression in human periodontal ligament and alveolar bone cells in culture: modulation by avocado and soybean unsaponifiables. J Periodontol. 2006;77(7):1156-66.
- Lambert C, Bellemère G, Boyer G, et al. Composition Analysis and Pharmacological Activity of Avocado/Soybean Unsaponifiable Products Used in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis. Front Pharmacol 2022;12:781389.
- Goudarzi R, Thomas P, Ryan S. Joint Dysfunctionality Alleviation along with Systemic Inflammation Reduction Following Arthrocen Treatment in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Medicina (Kaunas) 2022;58(2):228.