• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.681-687
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• 2018

Recently, several researchers have been developing cosmetics from natural ingredients for skin whitening and anti-aging products. The red sea cucumber (RSC), Apostichopus japonicas, is a species of sea cucumber in the family stichopodiae, which is widely distributed in China, Japan, and Korea. To use Red Sea Cucumber as a cosmetic ingredient, its inhibitory effects on melanogenesis and the anti-aging effects of RSC extracts were investigated. First, a tyrosinase activity assay was performed, which showed that RSC inhibited tyrosinase activity at a concentration of $200{\mu}g/ml$. An MTT assay was carried out to evaluate cell toxicity, and the results showed that RSC extract has no cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein 1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase related protein 2 (TRP-2), microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) genes treated with RSC extract in B16F10 and HaCaT cells decreased. Moreover, a wound-healing assay was performed to identify the cell regeneration effect of RSC extracts. Also, a skin turnover effect was confirmed by creating a three-dimensional cell culture with HaCaT and human fibroblasts. Altogether, the results suggested that Red Sea Cucumber may possess a high ability to induce whitening and anti-wrinkle effects as a cosmeceutical ingredient.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.419-424
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• 2009

Water and 70% ethanol extracts obtained from a sea cucumber (Stichopus japonicus) body wall by heat reflux or pressurized solvent extraction showed 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl ($DPPH^{\cdot}$) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation ($ABTS^{{\cdot}+}$) scavenging activities comparable to those of fruits and vegetables. The highest activities were observed for the water extract from heat reflux extraction. Crude saponins exhibited higher radical scavenging activities than the soluble matters in the extracts. However, they were responsible for only about 3 to 15% of the scavenging activities of the extracts. Total phenolic contents showed a significant correlation with $DPPH^{\cdot}$ scavenging activities, suggesting a significant contribution of phenolic constituents to the antioxidant properties of the extracts. However, total flavonoid contents showed little correlation with the radical scavenging activities. The results suggest that the water or 70% ethanol extract obtained from sea cucumber body wall by simple heat reflux extraction could provide considerable antioxidant benefits.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.90-100
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• 2022

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have posed serious public health problems, accounting for nearly 30% of mortality worldwide and their incidence is still increasing. Therefore, new treatment resources are necessary to prevent or manage the ever-increasing population of patients with CVDs. Sea cucumber is well known for its medical and health benefit effects, but it is not well known what/how effect it has on vascular disease. In the present study, we examined the protect effect of sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus 80% ethanol extract (AJE) on zebrafish embryo with the stimulation of free fatty acid, palmitate (PA). In vivo study showed that AJE can attenuate PA-induced toxicity through relieving the rapid heartbeat, increasing the survival rate and reducing the malformation in both wild type and Tg (fli1a:eGFP) transgenic zebrafish lines. Additionally, compare with PA treated embryos, the yolk sac area, body length, axial vascular segment (AVS) and intersegmental vessel (ISV) of the co-treatment group of AJE and PA were comparable to the control group. Moreover, AJE lowered the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO) and inflammation-related genes induced by PA, and inhibited PA-induced vascular development disorders. Our data preliminarily verify that AJE could be a candidate resource for the prevention or therapy of CVDs.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.11-19
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• 2020

This study aims to review the progress of biotechnological applications of sea cucumber and presents fundamental validation data on a range of methods and applications to determine the most promising fields for future exploitation and application. Sea cucumbers from different regions, subjected to numerous industrially applicable drying methods, were evaluated for their biochemical composition. The study highlights the nutritional excellence of Jeju red sea cucumber, particularly the high amino acid and fatty acid composition of its intestinal organs and the possibility of the industrial utilization of these organs. In addition, an efficient extraction method to extract collagen and chondroitin sulfate from red sea cucumber was established. The extracted collagen and chondroitin sulfate can be used as commercially valid biomaterials. Accordingly, the red sea cucumber was confirmed as a valuable source of raw food material of varied functionality and bioactivity. Upon conducting an analysis of patents thus far relating to the sea cucumber, it was found that the associated technology was limited to some parts of primary and secondary industries. Therefore, there is a clear need for the strategic development of technologies to produce specialized functional products from sea cucumber's raw materials, with a view to promote other related industries.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2000

Strawberry and cucumber were dipped with Korean medical herb extracts such as Rheum palmatum L. and Coptis chinensis Franch. to maintain the keeping quality during storage at 5$^{\circ}$C and 10$^{\circ}$C, respectively. Treatment with 500 ppm solutions gor strawberry retarded weight loss, microbial load increase, and decay during storage. Decay ratio was shown 68.8% for control, 45.0% for Rheum palmatum L. and 42.5% for Coptis chinensis Franch. at 10 days. Strawberry treated with Coptis chinensis Franch. showed a higher hardness and soluble solid content than others. Cucumber treated with 1,000 ppm solutions revealed a different O$_2$ and CO$_2$ concentrations after 16 days. Korean medical herb extracts showed an antimicrobial activity for the quality retention of cucumber during storage. Ascorbic acid content was generally increased till 8 days, but decreased thereafter.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.645-651
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• 2013

The contents of total phenolics and flavonoids, antimicrobial and tyrosinase inhibition activities of five growth stages with four greenhouse-grown cucumber extracts were investigated. Total phenolic content was high in Jangjukcheongjang, Janghyeongnakhap and five growth stage(24~27 cm). The content of total flavonoid did not differ between cultivar or growth stages. Among the four cucumber cultivars, the extract of Janghyeongnakhap showed a relatively strong antimicrobial effect against Staphylococcus aureus. The inhibition zone against Staphylococcus epidermidis of the samples tested in this experiment was 8~12 mm. And the antimicrobial effects against Malassezia furfur was high in Jangjukcheongjang, and showed the highest by the inhibition zone of 14mm in three(17~20 cm) growth stage. The tyrosinase inhibition activity of cucumber extracts showed relatively high activity in Jangjukcheongjang and Sinjoeunbaekdadagi, followed by Janghyeongnakhap. From these results, we confirmed that the extract of cucumber has high antimicrobial and whitening efficacy, and that in the future, the cucumber will be increase the availability in the field of high-value cosmetic materials.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.12-15
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• 2008

A chemical investigation of the polar extract of the sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus, collected from Jeju Island, Korea, has led to isolation of five new fatty acid derivatives (1, 4 - 7) along with known compounds (2 - 3, 8 - 14). Their structures were elucidated by a combination of MS and NMR spectroscopy.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2020

Stichopus japonicas (red sea cucumbers) inhabit the coastal sea surrounding Jeju Island, South Korea, and are thought to have various medicinal properties. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of a red sea cucumber (S. japonicus) collected from Jeju Island. We obtained the red sea cucumber extract (RSCE), and observed that it inhibited the tumor cell growth and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production associated with the induction of apoptosis through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in murine colon carcinoma cells (CT-26). Treatment with RSCE and N-acetylcysteine, which is a ROS scavenger, increased ROS production and apoptosis via the regulation by the MAPK pathway on the ERK and JNK compared with the nontreated group. Therefore, RSCE promotes ROS-mediated suppression of the ERK and JNK activation, and subsequently inhibits cancer progression, suggesting that RSCE may be beneficial in treating colon carcinoma.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.9
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• pp.35-39
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• 1968

Addition of one percent cucumber, as a Kimchi component, showed the stimulation of lactic acid fermentation, by reducing the lagphase, and resulted the early matured Kimchi. Alcohol-soluble fraction from cucumber serum accerelated the growth of Lactobacillus plantarum, p-1, p-2 newly isolated strains from cucumber pickle, but had no effect on the growth rate of Streptococus faecalis. The growth promoting activity was inactivated by dialysis against water and heat treatment at $120^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes. Softness of cucumber tissues enables to extract easily out a substance, which is thought one of the important factors for the stimulation of me growth of Lactic acid bacteria.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.55-61
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• 1986

This study was attempted to investigate the occurrence and the partial characteristics of pectinesterase (PE) in cucumbers. And the involvement of endogenous cucumber PE with the formation of insoluble pectic acid, in the presence of endogenous or added calcium ions, was also studied. The results of this study are as follows: 1) PE activity was detected in whole cucumber homogenate. 2) The optimum pH and temperature of this enzyme were found to be 8.5 and $50^{\circ}C$, respectively 3) When PE extract was added to 0.25% pectin solution, pectin gel was formed. The time required for the formation of pectin gel was reduced when the pectin solution was adjusted to the optimum conditions for PE activity(pH 8.5, $50^{\circ}C$) and $CaCl_2$ was added. 4) Cucumber juice which was heated to $100^{\circ}C$ for 10 minutes fatted to form any insoluble pectate precipitate. The formation of precipitate in cucumber juice was accelerated by preheating to $50^{\circ}C$, adjusting to pH 8.5 and addition of $CaCl_2$. 5) These results can be interpreted that endogenous PE in cucumber juice demethylates pectin, allowing interlinking of pectin molecules via divalent cation $(Ca^{++})$ and thus forming insoluble Ca-pectate. Therefore additional firming effects of cucumber can be expected to be obtained through activation of PE in conjunction with calcium ions.