Abstract
Biochemical studies (protein, fat, moisture and ash) were done on five species of holothurians namely Holothuria leucospilota, Holothuria scabra, Holothuria spinifera, Stichopus naso and Thelenota anax , which were collected from the waters around Jaffna Peninsula during November 2013 to April 2014. Moisture, ash, protein and lipid contents of collected sea cucumbers were measured and recorded. The average moisture, protein, lipid and ash contents were 84.52±0.88%, 10.06±0.04%, 0.25±0.02% and 1.90±0.07% in H. leucospilota, 85.21±0.78%, 4.96±0.02%, 0.34±0.03% and 5.72±0.34% in H. scabra, 79.19±0.86%, 8.22±0.43%, 0.27±0.05% and 9.22±0.23% in H. spinifera , 92.55±0.66%, 3.00±0.04%, 0.33±0.01% and 1.62±0.02% in S. naso and 89.92±1.33%, 3.14±0.03%, 0.40±0.02% and 2.90±0.01% in T. anax , respectively. Marked significant differences (p H. leucospilota and H. spinifera possessed higher protein, T. anax possessed higher lipid and H. spinifera possessed higher ash contents than other investigated sea cucumber species. Among the five analyzed sea cucumber species, H. leucospilota is the most recommended as one of the healthiest food for human consumption as it has low fat content and high protein content.
Highlights
Holothurians are soft bodied echinoderms comprising a diverse group of flexible, elongated, worm like organisms, with a rubbery like skin and gelatinous body looking like cucumber, the name “sea cucumbers” (Conand, 1990)
Beach–de–mer is the major commodity that is produced in Sri Lanka and the entire annual production is currently exported to Singapore, Hong Kong and China (Dissanayake, 2009)
Wen et al, (2010) investigated the chemical and nutritional composition of eight common commercially processed sea cucumber species such as Stichopus herrmanni, Thelenota ananas, T. anax, Holothuria fuscogilva, Holothuria fuscopunctata, Actinopyga mauritiana, Actinopyga caerulea and Bohadschia argus and found the protein contents to be within the range of 40.7 to 63.3%, and a relatively very low level of fat (0.3–1.9%), except for T. anax and A. caerulea, while the ash content is markedly high (15.4–39.6%)
Summary
Holothurians are soft bodied echinoderms comprising a diverse group of flexible, elongated, worm like organisms, with a rubbery like skin and gelatinous body looking like cucumber, the name “sea cucumbers” (Conand, 1990) They live on rocky substrata, soft sediments and sea grass beds, in depths that vary between 0 and 100 m (Fischer et al, 1987). In Sri Lanka, sea cucumber fishery is presently confined to the Northern cap from Kalpitiya on the Northwestern coast through the Puttalam Islands around Gulf of Mannar, Trincomalee, Pothuwil and Kalmunei in the Northeast and Eastern coastal waters of Sri Lanka. Measurements of nutritional profiles such as protein, lipid, ash and moisture contents are often ensure that whether they meet the requirements of food regulations and commercial specifications or not
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