Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) Processing Discards as Affected by High-Pressure Processing (HPP)

Abstract

Sea cucumber processing discards, which include mainly internal organs, represent up to 50% of the sea cucumber biomass, and are a rich source of bioactive compounds, including phenolics. This work aimed to extract free, esterified, and insoluble-bound phenolics from the internal organs of the Atlantic sea cucumber (C. frondosa) using high-pressure processing (HPP) pre-treatment. The sea cucumber internal organs were subjected to HPP (6000 bar for 10 min), followed by the extraction and characterization of phenolics. Samples were evaluated for their total contents of phenolics and flavonoids, as well as several in vitro methods of antioxidant activities, namely, free radical scavenging and metal chelation activities. Moreover, anti-tyrosinase and antiglycation properties, as well as inhibitory activities against LDL cholesterol oxidation and DNA damage, were examined. The results demonstrated that HPP pre-treatment had a significant effect on the extraction of phenolics, antioxidant properties, and other bioactivities. The phenolics in sea cucumber internal organs existed mainly in the free form, followed by the insoluble-bound and esterified fractions. Additionally, UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis identified and quantified 23 phenolic compounds from HPP-treated samples, mostly phenolic acids and flavonoids. Hence, this investigation provides fundamental information that helps to design the full utilization of the Atlantic sea cucumber species and the production of a multitude of value-added products.

Antioxidant Potential of Sea Cucumbers and Their Beneficial Effects on Human Health

“…Pre-treatments also affect the content of sea cucumber phenolic and their antioxidant activities. For example, free, esterified, and insoluble-bound phenolics from the body wall and internal organs of Atlantic sea cucumber ( Cucumaria frondosa ) were determined using high-pressure processing (HPP) pre-treatment [ 5 , 24 ]. Results demonstrated that HPP significantly improved the TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity.…”

“…They suggested that phenolic extracts which were rich in epicatechin and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid might inhibit the growth of cancer cells and induce apoptosis in A549 (human non-small lung carcinoma) and HeLa (cervix adenocarcinoma) cells. However, the phenolic compounds of the Atlantic sea cucumber’s ( C. frondosa ) body wall and internal organs were used in various in vitro biological assays [ 5 , 24 ]. Results suggested that phenolic compounds had the potential to inhibit DNA oxidation, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation, formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and α-glucosidase and tyrosinase enzymes.…”

“…UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS identified 20 phenolic compounds from the body wall of C. frondosa , which are mainly phenolic acids and flavonoids such as protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, p -coumaric acid, ellagic acid, catechin, and epigallocatechin gallate. Similarly, 23 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified from the processing discards of C. frondosa ; among them, 11 of which were identified for the first time in any species of sea cumber [ 24 ]. These were protocatechuic acid, homovanillic acid, gallic acid monohydrate, isoferulic acid, p -coumaroyl glycolic acid, sinapinic acid, caffeoyl glucoside, chicoric acid, p -hydroxycoumarin, scopoletin, and leachianol F.…”

Persimmon Leaves: Nutritional, Pharmaceutical, and Industrial Potential—A Review

“…For example, p -hydroxycinnamic acid is derived from tyrosine with the assistance of tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), whereas trans cinnamic acid is derived from phenylalanine, catalyzing by phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL). The major phenolics present in plants are flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, stilbenes, lignans, and coumarin [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Phenolic compounds are well known as antioxidants, which demonstrate inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and tyrosinase activities as well as LDL-cholesterol, DNA, and lipid oxidation [ 29 ].…”

In Silico Analysis of Bioactive Peptides Produced from Underutilized Sea Cucumber By-Products—A Bioinformatics Approach

“…It is mainly fished for its internal muscle bands and body wall [ 10 , 12 ]. All the other remaining tissues including aquapharyngeal bulb (flower) and internal organs such as digestive tract, gonads, and respiratory tree are discarded as processing waste [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. A limited number of studies have reported the potential of utilizing the Atlantic Sea cucumber by-products as precursor materials for bioactive peptides [ 14 , 15 ].…”