BENEFITS - IMMUNE SYSTEM

Sea Cucumbers Increase Immunity


A high amount of good-quality protein in sea cucumber is linked with its beneficial effects on serum triglyceride levels. Sea cucumber protein, especially produced from body wall, is rich in glycine, glutamic acid and arginine. Glycine can stimulate production and release of IL-2 and B cell antibody and thus contributes to enhancing phagocytosis. Glycine and glutamic acid are essential components for cells to synthesize glutathione which can stimulate activation and proliferation of NK cell. Arginine can enhance cell immunity by promoting activation and proliferation of T-cell. Due to these amino acid components, sea cucumbers have remarkable function in immune regulation. A major proportion (ca. 70 percent) of sea cucumber body wall protein is comprised of collagen. Collagen is recognized as a valued component in the connective tissues, due to its usefulness and specific distribution. It can be further converted into gelatin by boiling, to act as a functional bioactive substance.

Considerable amounts of phenolics and free radical scavengers have also been determined in sea cucumbers. Athunibat et al investigated that aqueous extract derived from sea cucumbers (Holothuria leucospilota, Holothuria scabra, Stichopus chlorontus) contain significantly higher amounts of total phenolics (4.85–9.70 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g dw) than the organic extracts (1.53–2.90 mg GAE/g dw). Similarly, in another study by Mamelona et al, total pheols and flavonoids contents in different parts including digestive tract, gonads, muscles, and respiratory apparatus of sea cucumber, Cucumaria frondosa, varied from 22.5 to 236.0 mg GEA/g dw, and 2.9 to 59.8 mg rutin equivalent/g dw, respectively. Acetonitrile-rich fractions and ethyl acetate extracts from digestive tract and water-rich fractions and water extracts from muscles and respiratory apparatus showed the highest amount of total phenols. Among extracts and fractions, acetonitrile-rich fractions exhibited the highest content of phenols for all the tested tissues. As far as the total flavonoids is concerned, the water-rich and acetonitrile-rich fractions from gonads, while water extracts from digestive track and ethyl acetate extracts from muscle and digestive tract have highest levels, among others.

There are a series of other bioactive and antiagent substances in sea cucumbers, such as triterpene glycosides, enzymes, amyloses, fatty acids, cytotoxins, etc. with potential capabilities to increase immunity, resist tumor and cruor, protect nerve tissue, ease pain and resist epiphyte as well as contribute to immunopotentiation, anticancer and anticoagulation.

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3210605/