A review of the nutritional and functional importance of sea cucumber as a beneficial marine resource of bioactive compounds

In today's world, with the advancement of science and the spread of many diseases related to free radicals and oxidative stress, the importance of bioactive compounds and their use in food-pharmaceutical industries is well known. Marine aquatics have found a suitable place in the food basket of families due to their high nutritional value. One of the most substantial aquatics in the sea environment is sea cucumber. Sea cucumber is a soft marine animal found on the seabed worldwide. This study aims to investigate the importance of sea cucumber for its consumption as a significant nutrient to have a healthy and ideal life. The result showed that this aquatic organism could be considered a beneficial food for improving human health due to the presence of valuable compounds in its structure. Also, this organism contains bioactive peptides that cause antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-thrombosis, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, etc. Increasing demand can lead to overexploitation and depletion of natural sea cucumber stocks. Along with breeding fish, shrimp and oysters, by multiplying and breeding these creatures, an efficient step can be taken in the fisheries economy of the whole country.