WHERE IS THE ACQUACULTURE SCIENCE ON SEA CUCUMBER RANCHING?
Sea Cucumber
Dr. Sands recommended using Sea Cucumber with Original CMO. Sea Cucumber (Beche-de-Mer) is a seabed dwelling marine animal which feeds on microscopic algae, absorbing nutrients from the organic matter. Sea Cucumber has been used for thousands of years by Asians as a culinary delicacy.
The Chinese have treasured Sea Cucumber since ancient times for prevention of disease and as a longevity tonic. Traditional Chinese medicine commonly uses sea cucumber in treating weakness, impotence, debility of the aged, constipation due to intestinal dryness, frequent urination, and joint problems.Tall Ships, Yankee Clippers, what precious cargo were they taking to the Far East? Pearls or gold? NO, it was Sea Cucumber!
Western medicine is successfully using Sea Cucumber to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and connective tissue disorders. Australia has approved the use of sea cucumber as an over-the-counter treatment for arthritis and the Japanese have a patent using sea cucumber chondroitin sulfate for HIV therapy.
Beche de Mer (Sea Cucumber) is a marine animal related to starfish and sea urchins containing mucopolysaccharides, chondroitins, protein, vitamins A & C, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, sodium, and carbohydrates. The nutrient content of sea cucumbers is extremely broad, and total identification of each innate constituent will probably never be established. The University of Queensland Centre for Drug Design conducted a series of chromotographs that displayed "an enormous number of compounds". Some of the compounds identified unique to the animal kingdom include two types of triterpenoidal oligoglycosides, one type occurring with a sulfate group and the other without. Molecules of this general classification are abundant in the plant kingdom, but are quite rare among animal tissues. Other compounds found in abundance include analogues of monosaccharide structure and analogues of sulfated mucopolysaccharide configuration.
Sea Cucumber has shown an ability to balance prostaglandins, which regulate the inflammatory process. Sea cucumber has a cartilaginous body that serves as a rich source of mucopolysaccharides; mainly chondroitin sulfate, known for its ability to reduce arthritis pain. As little as 3 grams per day of the dried sea cucumber has been helpful in reducing arthralgia (joint problems). Chondroitin's action is similar to that of glucosamine sulfate, the main building block of chondroitin.
Beche-de-Mer
Chondroitin building blocks can be repeated numerous times. This is basically a glucose molecule (left portion) and glucosamine molecule (right portion), which has been sulfated (O3S, at the top). Long-chain sulfated polysaccharides, like chondroitin, also inhibit viruses.
Russian, Japanese, and Chinese studies reveal that sea cucumbers contain saponins (triterpene glycosides). These compounds are structure similar to the active constituents of ginseng, ganoderma, and other famous tonic herbs. Pharmacology studies indicate anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties of the sea cucumber saponins.
One of the sea cucumber saponins, representative of the structures commonly found in these organisms.
In addition, the sea cucumber oil contains two anti-inflammatory fractions. One fraction has fatty acids characteristic of those found in fish; they can be used as a substitute for fish oil in reducing inflammatory byproducts of fat metabolism, and to nourish the brain and heart. The main compounds of interest in fish oil are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid also found in sea cucumber, and DHA (docosahaenoic acid), unique to fish:
sea cucumber
sea cucumber
Stereochemical representations of EPA (left) and DHA (right). The double bond locations are different, causing a different bending of the structures.
The other oil fraction is a mixture of branched chain fatty acids, mainly 12-MTA (methyltetradecanoic acid). This compound, and the more widely studied variant, 13-MTA, are potent inhibitors of the 5-LOX (lypoxygenase) enzyme system. 5-LOX inhibitors are one of the key areas of modern drug development, with plans evolving to use the compounds in treatment of asthma, ulcerative colitis, and arthritis. In addition, cancer-inhibiting effects have been observed in preliminary studies with prostate cancer cell lines and other human cancer cells These fatty acids are thought to be produced by bacteria that live within the sea cucumbers; they are also produced by bacteria in other marine organisms, such as sponges and tunicates.
sea cucumber
Sample branched chain fatty acid found in sea organisms. The central chain is a simple carbohydrate. These long chains can interact with cell membranes.
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P.S. Sea cucumbers are also essential to a healthy reef – they’re like the vacuum cleaners of the reef. For the first time last year, Belize allowed harvesting of sea cucumbers, despite the fact that Fisheries has no idea of how many we have, so don’t know what a sustainable harvest would be. Despite that lack of knowledge, a number of sea cucumber fishing licenses have been issued by Fisheries.
They grow VERY slowly and efforts to farm them have been unsuccessful because of their extremely slow growth.
Also, not all sea cucumbers are created equal. The kind we have in Belize are not the kind that are highly prized for their aphrodisiac qualities.
In addition, the alternate name for sea cucumbers is NOT beche de mer. Beche de mer is something you make from cucumbers. Basically, you dry out the skin, which is then used as a casing for stuffing of other seafoods, including the body of the sea cucumber.
Efforts in Belize centered in Sarteneja to produce beche de mer failed when the skin could not be dried properly. The largest quantity of sea cucumbers harvested in Belize are now sold to Mexico. Fishermen harvest them (they’re very easy to pick up with a hook stick) and drop them into shrimp bags. When a bag is full, it’s tied off and left in the sea off Big Creek until a truck from Mexico arrives to pick up the bags. (At least that was what was happening late in 2010.)
If you’ve ever eaten “Happy Family” at an Asian restaurant, you’ve probably eaten sea cucumber.
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