**5. Conclusions**

In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated that oral administration of FP-MD effectively attenuates joint pain and the severity of articular cartilage destruction in an MIA-induced OA rat model and that the anti-osteoarthritic effects of FP-MD were associated with the protection of articular cartilage against inflammation-induced degradation thorough the suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our findings sugges<sup>t</sup> that FP-MD is a promising dietary supplement for reducing pain, minimizing cartilage damage, and improving functional status in OA patients, and could overcome the disadvantages of previous dietary supplements, including glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, as well as medicinal agents, such as corticosteroids and NSAIDs.

**Supplementary Materials:** The following are available online at http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/956/s1, Figure S1: Schematic diagram of experimental design and schedule for animal experiments, Figure S2: Effects of oral administration of FP-MD on changes in body weight gain in MIA-induced OA rats.

**Author Contributions:** M.H.P. participated in data analysis and visualization; J.C.J., conceptualization and review of manuscript; M.Y. and H.J.J. participated in mRNA expression analysis and histological analysis; S.H., E.C., M.H.D., S.B.H., reviewing and editing manuscript; J.T.H. and D.J.S. supervised the overall research, secured funding, and had primary responsibility of the final content. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research was supported by a gran<sup>t</sup> from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) through the Middle Market Enterprises Global Research R&D Project (No. P0000784), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) gran<sup>t</sup> from the Korean governmen<sup>t</sup> (MRC, 2017R1A5A2015541), and the research gran<sup>t</sup> of the Chungbuk National University in 2019 (2019101027).

**Conflicts of Interest:** J.C.J. is an employee of Novarex and S.H., E.C. andM.H.D. are employees of US Nutraceuticals, Inc. d/b/a Valensa International.
