Components and bioactivities of sea cucumber: an update

Sea cucumbers (holothurians), a classic marine invertebrate echinoderms, were found worldwide mainly as benthic organisms attached to sediments on the ocean floor. In particular, Sea cucumbers have long been esteemed as a valuable food due to their unique high nutritional value. Bioactives from Sea cucumbers play a crucial role in favor of human wellness. In this review, we collected recent research advances regarding this topic. First, we summarized the bioactive components from sea cucumbers including saponins, polysaccharides, polypeptides, proteins, fatty acids, cerebrosides, and gangliosides. Furthermore, we also outlined the role of sea cucumbers in anti-tumor, metabolic disease prevention, immune regulation and anti-aging. In a word, this review intends to cause further attention on the researches and development of sea cucumbers on the basis of the health protective mechanisms associated with the bioactives.