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Review
. 2017 Jul 17;8(3):341-351.
doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.06.007. eCollection 2018 Jul.

Medicinal and health benefit effects of functional sea cucumbers

Ratih Pangestuti  1 , Zainal Arifin  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Medicinal and health benefit effects of functional sea cucumbers

Ratih Pangestuti et al. J Tradit Complement Med. .

Abstract

Sea cucumbers have long been used as food and traditional medicine in Asian countries with Stichopus hermanni, Thelenota ananas, Thelenota anax, Holothuria fuccogilva, and Actinopyga mauritiana as most highly-valued species. These organisms are potential source of high value-added compounds with therapeutic properties such as triterpene glycosides, carotenoids, bioactive peptides, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, collagens, gelatins, chondroitin sulfates, amino acids. In the recent years, health benefit effects of sea cucumbers have been validated through scientific research and have shown medicinal value such as wound healing, neuroprotective, antitumor, anticoagulant, antimicrobial, and antioxidant. These functional materials lead to potential development in various foods and biomedicine industries. In this review, we have presented a general view of major medicinal and health benefit effects of functional sea cucumbers from Asia region. The structural significance and the potential application of sea cucumber-derived functional materials as well as their nutritional value are also discussed.

Keywords: Functional; Health; Materials; Medicinal; Sea cucumber.

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Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Stichopus hermanni from Lembeh strait, Indonesia.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Thelenota ananas from Kupang, Indonesia.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Functional materials-derived from sea cucumbers. Fucosylated chondroitin sulfate (A); Fucoidan (B); Holothurin A3 (C); and Holothurin A4 (D).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Thelenota anax from Halmahera, Indonesia.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Holothuria fuccogilva from Kupang, Indonesia.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Holothuria atra from Lembeh strait, Indonesia.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Holothuria leucospilota.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Holothuria scabra.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Biological activities of sea cucumber-derived bioactive materials.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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