Effect of Drying on Nutritional Composition of Atlantic Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) Viscera Derived from Newfoundland Fisheries

Vegneshwaran V Ramakrishnan,Wade Murphy,Sheila Trenholm,Yi Liu,Deepika Dave

doi:10.3390/pr9040703

Abstract

Cucumaria frondosa is the main sea cucumber species harvested from Newfoundland waters. During processing, the viscera of sea cucumber are usually discarded as waste. As a matter of fact, sea cucumber viscera are abundant in various nutrients and promising for valorization. In the present study, sea cucumber viscera were pretreated by air drying and freeze drying, and the nutritional compositions of the dried products were investigated, including proximate composition, lipid class, fatty acid profile, and amino acid composition. The dried viscera had similar levels of ash, lipids, and proteins compared to fresh viscera. Both air- and freeze-dried viscera had total fatty acid composition similar to fresh viscera, with high levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (30–31%), especially eicosapentaenoic acid (27–28%), and low levels of omega-6 PUFAs (~1%). The dried samples were abundant in essential amino acids (46–51%). Compared to air-dried viscera, freeze-dried viscera contained a lower content of moisture and free fatty acids, and higher content of glycine and omega-3 PUFAs in phospholipid fraction. The high content of nutritious components in dried viscera of Cucumaria frondosa indicates their great potential for valorization into high-value products.

Highlights

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Sea cucumbers contain low content of sugar, fat, and cholesterol, but high content of proteins [2]. They are a source of multiple nutritional components, including vitamins, minerals, collagen, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids
This study creates a paradigm for future research on using drying technology to pretreat sea cucumber viscera for production of value-added products

Summary

Introduction

Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates belonging to the class Holothuroidea. Sea cucumbers contain low content of sugar, fat, and cholesterol, but high content of proteins [2]. They are a source of multiple nutritional components, including vitamins, minerals, collagen, amino acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Sea cucumbers have been consumed as a type of tonic food in Asia for thousands of years. The market for sea cucumbers was originally developed in Asia and Indo-Pacific regions. With increased awareness about their nutritional value and benefits, consumption of sea cucumbers has increased drastically worldwide, resulting in a global industry of approximately $1 billion [6]

Methods

Results

Conclusion