Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ANADOLU 14th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON APPLIED SCIENCES, Gaziantep, Türkiye, 16 - 18 Şubat 2024, ss.269-280
The sea cucumber, belonging to the phylum Echinodermata and class Holothuridea, is an
invertebrate widely distributed across all oceans and seas globally. Typically inhabiting warm
shallow waters adjacent to rigid substrates such as corals and rocks, it is often transported to
deeper waters by tidal currents. Notably, sea cucumbers are vital in marine ecosystems as
natural recyclers, feeding on dead organic matter, protozoa, diatoms, detritus, and microalgae
in the benthic region. Commercial industries exploit only 70 of the approximately 1250 existing
species. Eight sea cucumber species have been identified in our country's territorial waters,
although they are not preferred as food domestically. Since 1996, these species have been
exported, primarily to Asian countries, as fishery feed and in frozen, dried, or salted forms. Sea
cucumbers, often called "ocean ginseng" due to their comparable medicinal properties to
ginseng, are garnering increased interest for their rich bioactive substances. These substances
include over 50 bioactive compounds such as peptides, saponins, phenols, glycoproteins,
carotenoids, sterols, amino acids, and fatty acids, alongside a nutrient profile featuring vitamins
A, B1, B2, and B3, as well as essential minerals like calcium, manganese, and iron. Research
into these valuable substances' medicinal and nutraceutical properties, encompassing
antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiproliferative, anticoagulant, antifungal, and
antiviral effects, is steadily growing. This review aims to provide insights into sea cucumber
diversity in Turkey, highlighting their bioactive potentials and elucidating their
pharmacological and cosmeceutical benefits.