Safety and efficacy of sea cucumber containing products

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the therapeutic effect of sea cucumber. It is a traditional medicine used for centuries as a general tonic to improve the health of the body and to boost the energy levels. Methodology: An electronic search on PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library with keywords “sea cucumber”, “gamat”, “effectiveness OR efficacy”,“safety OR adverse reaction OR side effects” was carried out. The literatures are summarized in the evidence tables. Findings and conclusions: Most sea cucumbers species have been validated through scientific and ethnopharmacological research and have shown to have medicinal value such as anti-angiogenic, anticancer, anticoagulant antihypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antithrombotic, and antitumor. The discovery of bioactive compounds and therapeutic properties isolated from sea cucumber such as chondroitin sulfate, triterpene glycosides (saponins), lectins, heparin, cerebrosides, gangliosides, bioactive peptides, sterols, and omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids leads to potential drug development in various pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, functional foods, and nutraceuticals industries. However, further clinical trials are still needed which could transform the bioactive compound from sea cucumber extraction into a drug that could be a cure for certain disease.

Keywords

• Gangliosides
• herbal product
• traditional medicine
• triterpene glycosides