• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.251-263
• /
• 2022

Sea cucumbers are worm-like, leathery bodied, benthic, marine organisms with a branched gonad. There are over 900 species, and these organisms are capable of changing their mechanical state, regenerating their small appendages, and digestive tract. Additionally, sea cucumbers possess both commercial and therapeutical value. Furthermore, it is thought that the metabolites these organisms possess may give rise to their therapeutical value. The use of sea cucumbers in therapy can be traced back to the Ming dynasty, where they were eaten for their tonic properties against constipation, hypertension, and rheumatism. A plethora of studies have been conducted, whereby different metabolites were extracted from sea cucumbers and tested for different therapeutic properties. Herein, we review and discuss the anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-coagulant, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of the sea cucumber by assessing literature on PubMed and Google Scholar. Furthermore, the genome and epigenome of these remarkable species is discussed. With the immense data supporting the therapeutic properties of sea cucumbers, further studies are warranted, in order to develop novel and innovative therapeutic compounds for the benefit of human health from these fascinating marine organisms.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.433-440
• /
• 2015

The Apostichopus japonicus is an important species in some Asia countries including Korea, China and Japan. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the differential gene expression of heat shock protein90 (Hsp90) and ferritin as a biomarker for the thermal stress during water temperature rising in the sea cucumber, A. japonicus. The A. japonicus (1.4 g) was cultured in incubator of separate temperature ($15^{\circ}C$, $20^{\circ}C$, $25^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$) for each 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours. The mRNA expression levels of Hsp90 and ferritin were examined using RT-PCR assay. Results showed that, the expression of Hsp90 mRNA was not significantly changed at $15^{\circ}C$. The expression of Hsp90 mRNA was significantly increased at high temperature such as $20^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$. Furthermore, Hsp90 mRNA was early increased at $25^{\circ}C$ than $20^{\circ}C$. The ferritin mRNA was similar expression pattern with Hsp90. But, Hsp90 mRNA was more sensitive than ferritin mRNA at high thermal stress. These results indicate that Hsp90 and ferritin mRNAs were involved in the temperature changes response and may be play an important role in mediating the thermal stress in A. japonicas.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.4751-4758
• /
• 2015

Echinodermata use saponins in chemical defense against pathogens and predators. The molecular mechanisms of antimetastatic effects of brittle star saponins are still unknown. The present study examined antioxidant capacity and invasive ability in HeLa carcinoma cells exposed to brittle star crude saponins. Discolorating methods with DPPH and ABTS and expression of SOD-2 with RT-PCR were used to estimate the antioxidant activity. The anti-invasive activity of extracted saponins was examined through adhesion of HeLa cells to extracellular matrix, wound healing and evaluation of the mRNA levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by real time-PCR. The results showed that extracted saponins had cytotoxicity against cervical cancer cells and ABTS and DPPH scavenging properties with $IC_{50}$ values of 604.5, $1012{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. Further, we found that, in wound healing assay, brittle star saponins could prevent invasion of HeLa cells in a concentration dependent manner. Furthermore, cell adhesion assay demonstrated blockage of cell attachment to extracellular matrix with an $IC_{50}$ concentration of $16.1{\mu}g/ml$. The significant dose dependent down regulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in treated cells demonstrated that isolated saponins can decline tumor metastasis in vitro. The brittle star saponins remarkably prevented cervical cancer invasion and migration associated with down regulation of matrix metalloproteinase expression. Therefore, saponins could be suggested as an anti-invasive candidate against cervical cancer and an antioxidant as well.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.493-503
• /
• 2015

Species composition and bycatch rate of the catches by dredge with bycatch reduction device to reduce bycatch were estimated around Yeongil Bay, Korea at June, 2015. Total catches were collected 31 species as Chordata 10 species, mollusca 8 species, arthropoda 6 species, echinodermata 5 species, sipunculida 1 species, annelida 1 species during the experiment at the Yeongil Bay. The dominant species were Scapharca broughtonii, Callithaca adamsi, and Atrina pectinata and they reached 79.9% of the total catch. The catch rate of Scapharca broughtonii and Callithaca adamsi was 69.6% and 10.4% respectively. The rate of bycatch was 20.1%, consisted with Echinodemata 13.0%, Chordata 3.6%. The catch of ordinary dredge was 27 species 1,307 number 85,052g and that of dredge with escapement device was 21 species 1,690 number 91,648g. In conclusion, the dredge gear with bycatch reduction device has higher catch rate of target species and lower bycatch rate to non-target species than ordinary one.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.52 no.1
• /
• pp.48-55
• /
• 2016

The species composition and distribution of catches by dredge gear in the Yeongil Bay, Korea were investigated on a seasonal basis from February to November, 2015. Total catches consisted of 44 species and 35 families. They were 13 species of fish, 10 species of crustacea, 5 species of echinodermata, 5 species of gastropoda, 4 species of cephalopoda and 3 species of bivalvia. Major catch species was shellfish and had seasonal variations in catch. In spring and winter, the catch of ark shell (Scapharca broughtonii) was increased. Adversely, the catch of admas venus clam (Callithaca adamsi) increased in sunmmer and autumn. Species diversity indices was high as the value of 1.99 in spring, and low to the value of 0.34 in summer. In addition, multi dimentional scaling (MDS) indices also was high in spring as the value of 1.99. In summer, the index was low as the value of 0.34. Similarity analysis based on species data was transformed by fourth root. With the result of cluster analysis and MDS analysis, species was divided into two groups. The first group as Group A consists of winter and spring species and another was Group B made of species in summer and winter.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.567-575
• /
• 2015

Species composition in the coastal waters off Ulleungdo of Korea were examined based on catches bimonthly collected by trammel net in 2013. A total of 711 individuals and 181.9 Kg were caught and catches were composed of 4 classes 15 orders 27 families 52 species including 44 Pisces, 4 Gastropoda, 3 Cephalopoda, and 1 Echinodermata. The dominant species in biomass were File fish (Thamnaconus modestus), Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus azonus), and Greenling (Hexagrammos otakii). Data were summarized using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) to examine similarity in species composition for each month, and community structure in Ulleungdo was divided into two groups. Community structures in February, April and December with low temperature and well-mixed surface water were distinguished from those in June, August and October with high temperature and strong stratification, which could be attributed to temporal changes in dominant species. Atka mackerel and Spear squid mainly caught in February and April, disappearing in June, August and October, and File fish outburst was shown in October. Because the water off Ulleungdo has been under low human pressure, it could be a good case study to elucidate effects of climate change on community structure and ecosystem in the East sea. Continuous surveys and further studies are required to demonstrate migration route and distribution of dominant species and long-term changes in community structure in the water of Ulleungdo.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.37 no.6
• /
• pp.469-477
• /
• 2004

This study examined distributional patterns of Asterias amurensis in Tongyeong, the central South Sea of Korea. The density of the sea star was estimated at 10 chosen sites in the inner and the outer parts of the Tongyeong coast from December 2000. The mean density of the species in this area was $2.4ind./m^{2}$. The seasonal surveys conducted at 3 arbitrary chosen sites (i.e., sea cage, reef and soft sediment) also showed that the abundance of the species at the sea cage site $(density:\;3.6\;ind./m^{2};\;biomass:\;250.7\;gwwt/m^{2})$ was significantly higher than at the reef site $(density:\;1.7\;ind./m^{2};\;biomass:\;63.5\;gwwt/m^{2})$ and the soft sediment site $(density:\;0.4\;ind./m^{2};\;biomass:\;18.9\;gwwt/m^{2})$. Densities were higher at sea cages areas than at reefs and soft bottom sites. At sea cage site, A. amurensis population exhibited a strong aggregated distributional pattern. In contrast, at reef and soft bottom sites, A. amurensis population showed a random distributional pattern. The spatial difference in prey species and its abundance was the primary factor determining the spatial heterogeneity of the sea star in its behavior characteristics. Experiments on the feeding preference indicated that A. amurensis had a strong selectivity on its prey, but this selectivity varied between populations living in different sites. In particular, A. amurensis populations at the reef site showed a strong selectivity on various sessile and mobile animals living in reef areas, suggesting that these animal groups may play a role as "windows for the survival of A. amurensis". These results suggest that the distribution of A. amurensis in Tongyeong is closely associated with abundance of prey species and the bottom composition.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.239-251
• /
• 2012

The food web dynamics in a coastal ecosystem of Korea were predicted with Ecosim, a trophic flow model, under various scenarios of primary productivity due to ocean warming and ocean acidification. Changes in primary productivity were obtained from an earth system model 2.1 under A1B scenario of IPCC $CO_2$ emission and replaced for forcing functions on the phytoplankton group during the period between 2020 and 2100. Impacts of ocean acidification on species were represented in the model for gastropoda, bivalvia, echinodermata, crustacean and cephalopoda groups with effect sizes of conservative, medium and large. The model results show that the total biomass of invertebrate and fish groups decreases 5%, 11~28% and 14~27%, respectively, depending on primary productivity, ocean acidification and combined effects. In particular, the blenny group shows zero biomass at 2080. The zooplankton group shows a sudden increase at the same time, and finally reaches twice the baseline at 2100. On the other hand, the ecosystem attributes of the mean trophic level of the ecosystem, Shannon's H and Kempton's Q indexes show a similar reduction pattern to biomass change, indicating that total biomass, biodiversity and evenness shrink dynamically by impacts of climate change. It is expected from the model results that, after obtaining more information on climate change impacts on the species level, this study will be helpful for further investigation of the food web dynamics in the open seas around Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.126-138
• /
• 2010

To investigate seasonal variation of fisheries resources composition and their correlationships with environmental factors in the coastal ecosystem of the middle Yellow Sea of Korea, shrimp beam trawl were carried out for the fisheries survey. Fisheries resources of 81 species, 57 families, and 6 taxa totally were collected by shrimp beam trawl in the middle coastal ecosystem of Yellow Sea of Korea. Species were included 6 species in Bivalvia, 6 in Cephalopoda, 22 in Crustacea, 2 in Echinodermata, 5 in Gastropoda, and 40 in Pisces. Diversity indices (Shannon index, H') showed seasonal variation with low value of 2.14 in winter, and high value of 2.67 in spring. Main dominant species were Oratosquilla oratoria, Octopus ocellatus, Acanthogobius lactipes, Cynoglossus joyneri, Rapana venosa venosa, Loligo beka, Chaeturichthys stigmatias, Raja kenojei, Microstomus achne and Paralichthys olivaceus, that were occupied over 58% of total individuals, and 55% of wet weight. Fisheries organism made four coordinative seasonal groups by the principal component analysis (PCA), showing stronger seasonal variation than spatial variation. PC from PCA showed statistically significant cross-correlationships with seawater temperature, $NH_4$-N, TP and chlorophyll a (P < 0.05).

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
• /
• no.nspc5
• /
• pp.47-60
• /
• 2005

The joint faunal survey of Jindo Island, Korea was performed by the Korean Society of Systematic Zoology during June 29-July 1, 2004 in commemoration of the 20th anniversary. In this study, 20 echinoderm species of 13 families, ten orders in four classes such as one crinoid species, seven asteroid species of four families in three orders, five ophiuroid species of three families in two orders, four echinoid species of two families in one order, and three holothuroid species of three families in three orders collected from six localities (Bealpo, Chopyung, Supum, Hoedong, Seomang, and $34^{\circ}11'N\;and\;126^{\circ}21'E)$ were identified. Of these, one crinoid (Antedon serrata), two asteroids (Solaster dawsoni and Distolasterias nipon) and one pohiudoid (Astrodendrum sagaminum) are newly added to the echinoderm fauna of Jindo Island and one holothudoid (Pseudocnus sp.) is newly recorded in Korean waters. The total 31 species are presently listed with some brief remarks and their distribution patterns are discussed based on the composition of geographical distribution forms.