Abstract
The knowledge of the chemical composition of invertebrates as sea cucumber contributes to improving our understanding of these living organisms. This study compared the chemical composition of wild sea cucumber Isostichopus sp., between February 2013 and January 2014. Sea cucumbers were captured by hand by artisanal fishermen and transported alive to the laboratory of Aquaculture of the Universidad del Magdalena (Colombia), where they were subsequently killed and taken to freeze until analysis. For proximate analysis 20 g of muscle were used for each sample. The analysis (in triplicate) was performed according to [1]. Significant differences (p Isostichopus sp. was similar to that reported for fresh sea cucumbers internationally traded, which indicates that it is a species with a competitive commercial value for use in food.
Highlights
Water, inorganic matter and a variety of organic compounds are part of the chemical composition of aquatic organisms [2]-[5]
The protein content varied significantly (p < 0.05), and their values were in the range of 2.74% and 6.63%, with the highest percentage found in July, while that minors were recorded between February and May (2013) and between November (2013) to January (2014)
The results found in muscle composition of individuals of Isostichopus sp. are within the ranges reported for other species such as Stichopus japonicus, Apostichopus japonicus, Parastichopus californicus, Holothuria tremula, Holothuria scabra and Cucumaria frondosa [21] [38]-[41]
Summary
Inorganic matter and a variety of organic compounds are part of the chemical composition of aquatic organisms [2]-[5]. This composition might be influenced by many factors such as physiological characteristics, habitat and life cycle of organisms, or by the environmental characteristics in where they live [5]-[7]. Lipids and minerals are the main constituents of living organisms and knowledge about their concen-. Proteins play an important role in most biological processes, such as transportation, storage, immune protection and the generation and transmission of nerve impulses [5] [8]. Minerals are involved in various biological functions with great importance as the formation of skeletal structures in the osmotic processes and muscle contraction [10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
