A Bio-processing Strategy for Full utilization of Sea cucumbers for Production of High Value Nutraceuticals and Pharmaceuticals

海参在底栖区和深海都有发现，几十年来一直被用作食物和药物的来源。在海洋中发现的海参物种约有1500种，占海底总生物量的90%。它们被用来治疗癌症、关节炎以及肠道和尿液功能障碍，并可导致免疫系统的增强。海参还具有抗血管生成、抗癌、抗凝血、抗高血压、抗炎、抗菌、抗氧化、抗血栓、抗肿瘤和伤口愈合等多种生物活性。在加拿大，商业性海参渔业于2003年启动，分配数量为454吨，2013年增至2242吨。在大西洋加拿大发现的最常见的海参物种是扁头海参。海参由体壁、性腺、呼吸道、花朵和皮肤组成。海参含有丰富的维生素和矿物质。海参还含有各种必需的高价值营养食品和药物，具有各种生物学特性，包括：胶原、明胶、蛋白质、氨基酸、omega-3脂肪酸、糖胺多聚糖(GAG)、硫酸软骨素(岩藻糖化)、三萜苷(皂苷)、硫酸三萜苷、凝集素、硫酸多糖、甾醇、酚、黄酮类、三萜低聚糖、糖蛋白、类固醇皂苷和粘多糖。到目前为止，人们对各种种类的海参进行了有限的科学研究，对大西洋物种的研究也不多。加拿大大西洋新兴渔业目前正面临经济和环境问题，有必要制定生物加工战略，从海参中生产各种高价值营养食品和药品，以提高海参渔业的可持续性，提高附加值产品的经济性，并生产特定用途的功能性食品。拟议的研究将侧重于实施生物加工战略，以充分利用海参生产保健食品和药品。这项工作包括：(A)开发提取高价值产品的环境友好型工艺，包括：胶原、明胶、硫酸软骨素以及酚类和类黄酮类；(B)测定提取产品的质量；(C)评估海参生物加工战略的可持续性和经济潜力。将在功能食品、生物技术、保健食品和药品领域培训高素质人员(研究生和本科生)。

Sea cucumbers are found in both benthic areas and deep seas and have been used as a source of food and drug for decades. There are around 1500 sea cucumber species found in ocean forming 90% of total seabed biomass. They are used to treat cancer, arthritis and intestinal and urinal dysfunctions and can lead to increase in immune system. Sea cucumbers also possess a number of biological activities including anti-angiogenic, anticancer, anticoagulant, anti-hypertension, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antithrombotic, antitumor and wound healing properties. In Canada, commercial sea cucumber fisheries were initiated in 2003 with an allocation of 454 tons which increased to 2242 tons in 2013. The most common sea cucumber species found in Atlantic Canada is C. frondosa. Sea cucumbers comprise body wall, gonads, respiratory tract, flower and skin. Sea cucumber are composed of high value profile of vitamins and minerals. Sea cucumber also contains various essential high value nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals with various biological properties including: collagen, gelatin, protein, amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, glycosoaminoglycans (GAGs), chondroitin sulfate (fucosylated), triterpene glycosides (saponin), sulfated triterpene glycosides, lectin, sulfated polysaccharides, sterols, phenols, flavonoids, triterpene oligoglycosides, glycoprotein, steroidal sapogenins and mucopolysaccharides. Limited scientific research has so far been carried out on various species of sea cucumber and not much research has been done on Atlantic species. The emerging fishery in Atlantic Canada is currently facing economic and environmental issues which necessitated the need for the development of bioprocessing strategy for the production of various high value nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals from sea cucumber to improve the sustainability of sea cucumber fisheries, economics of value added products and produce functional foods for specific applications. The proposed research will focus on implementation of bioprocessing strategy for full utilization of sea cucumbers for production of nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals. The work consists of (a) development of environmentally friendly processes for the extraction of high value products including: collagen, gelatin, chondroitin sulfate and phenols and flavonoids (b) determination of the quality of the extracted products and (c) evaluate the sustainability and economic potential of the sea cucumber bioprocessing strategy. Highly qualified personnel (graduate and undergraduate students) will be trained in the fields of functional foods, biotechnology, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals.