In Vivo and Clinical Studies of Sea Cucumber-Derived Bioactives for Human Health and Nutrition From 2012-2021

Abstract

Sea cucumbers are amongst the highest value seafoods available commercially, especially in the south-east Asian region, primarily due to their nutritional and health benefits as applied in Traditional Chinese Medicine. While the majority of studies for nutritional products derived from sea cucumber compounds have been conducted in vitro, the number of in vivo and evidence-based human clinical studies are limited. This review has critically assessed the advances in in vivo and clinical studies of sea cucumber-derived bioactives (both extracts and compounds) via a comprehensive literature research on papers published in the last ten years from 2012-2021. Sea cucumber-derived compounds were reported to have the following activities: anticancer, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant/antithrombotic, antioxidant, and antihypertension, immunomodulatory, wound healing and as treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. These active compounds include triterpene glycosides (saponins), fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (FCS), cerebrosides, glycosaminoglycan, fucoidan, phospholipids, polysaccharides, peptides, long-chain bases, Frondanol A5, acid mucopolysaccharide, and phosphatidylcholines. Gaps, challenges and future directions have been identified and discussed separately to progress different areas of research and to further scientific validation, development and application of sea cucumbers for human health and nutritional products.

Bridging the gap between sustainability and profitability: unveiling the untapped potential of sea cucumber viscera

“…In addition to being valuable marine commodities, sea cucumbers are a significant source of medicine ( Zhao et al, 2018 ). They are used in traditional Chinese medicine and are thought to have therapeutic capabilities, to treat conditions such as arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, cancer, frequent urination, and impotence ( Guo et al, 2015 ; Pangestuti & Arifin, 2018 ; Liang et al, 2022 ). They have extensive uses in the biomedical industry, where they are believed to possess therapeutic capabilities ( Zohdi et al, 2011 ) and numerous active ingredients, including polysaccharides, peptides, proteins, lipids, ( Janakiram, Mohammed & Rao, 2015 ), collagen, gelatine, saponins and acid mucopolysaccharides ( Kariya et al, 2004 ; Lu et al, 2010 ; Zhou, Wang & Jiang, 2012 ; Yang, Hamel & Mercier, 2015 ).…”

2-Butoxytetrahydrofuran, Isolated from Holothuria scabra, Attenuates Aggregative and Oxidative Properties of α-Synuclein and Alleviates Its Toxicity in a Transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans Model of Parkinson’s Disease

“…scabra) is a species of sea cucumber, an invertebrate marine animal mostly found in the Indo-Pacific region. Sea cucumber-derived bioactive compounds have been reported to exhibit promising medical potentials, including antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, anti-inflammation, antioxidant, antihypertension, anticoagulant, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective treatments . The beneficial compounds in sea cucumbers are reported to include fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, triterpene glycoside (saponins), glycosaminoglycan, phospholipids, peptides, phosphatidylcholines, collagen, phenols, amino acids, calcium, omega-6, and omega-9 .…”

“…Sea cucumber-derived bioactive compounds have been reported to exhibit promising medical potentials, including antihyperlipidemic, anticancer, anti-inflammation, antioxidant, antihypertension, anticoagulant, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective treatments . The beneficial compounds in sea cucumbers are reported to include fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, triterpene glycoside (saponins), glycosaminoglycan, phospholipids, peptides, phosphatidylcholines, collagen, phenols, amino acids, calcium, omega-6, and omega-9 . These constituents and their health-promoting actions render sea cucumbers being a potential target for intense biomedical research as well as for food in the Asian region .…”

“…The beneficial compounds in sea cucumbers are reported to include fucosylated chondroitin sulfate, triterpene glycoside (saponins), glycosaminoglycan, phospholipids, peptides, phosphatidylcholines, collagen, phenols, amino acids, calcium, omega-6, and omega-9 . These constituents and their health-promoting actions render sea cucumbers being a potential target for intense biomedical research as well as for food in the Asian region . Our previous studies have demonstrated that the small cyclic ether compound, 2-butoxytetrahydrofuran (2-BTHF), isolated from H.…”

Efficient and green deodorization of sea cucumber peptides by using a low concentration of hydrogen peroxide

“…Sea cucumber, a traditional tonic food, is characterized by high protein and low fat, thereby peptides obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of sea cucumbers are being studied ). We found that sea cucumber peptides (SCPs) have antioxidant, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-aging, neuroprotective, and trace element chelation functions (Lu et al 2022) which makes them potentially of great application in highly effective antifatigue products and skin care products, etc (Liang et al 2022). However, SCPs usually have a heavy shy odor which directly affects their application prospect, so how to remove the shy odor e ciently and green becomes very important.…”