Proteomic Analysis of Stichopus japonicus and Evaluation of the Antiaging Properties of Its Peptide

The sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus is one of the"Eight Treasures of Seafood"and contains a number of bioactive components involved in multiple physiological and pharmacological functions.Proteins and peptides are generally considered to be responsible for these beneficial properties.In this study,a total of 3478 proteins and 17390 peptides were identified in Stichopus japonicus by proteomics methods.Among them,4 proteins were involved in 8 metabolic pathways,especially oxidative phosphorylation and cell senescence.Subsequently,lifespan assay and oxidative stress test were performed to investigate the peptides prepared from sea cucumber protein hydrolyzate using the aging model of Caenorhabditis elegans.The results of the anti-aging experiment demonstrated that high-dose peptides significantly prolonged the lifespan of nematodes(30.50%),and improved their capacity to inhibit oxidative stress.The results provide evidence supporting the development of bioactive proteins and peptides derived from Stichopus japonicus as functional foods and lay the foundation for the research of an anti-aging drug.

Effects of Different Drying Processes on the Effective Components of Stichopus japonicus Viscera

Drying is a basic link in seafood processing, and the effects of forced air drying and vacuum drying on the effective components of Stichopus japonicus viscera were compared with the moisture, total saponin and polysaccharide contents as the detection indexes. The contents of effective components obtained using forced air drying were slightly lower than those obtained using vacuum drying, but the forced air drying method used short drying time and low economic energy consumption. Excellent drying effects and low cost of forced air drying made it can be adapted to the requirements of large-scale production applications.

Antioxidant and anti-melanogenic activities of ultrasonic extract from Stichopus japonicus

Objective:To investigate the antioxidant and anti-melanogenesis activities of an ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber,Stichopus japonicus,collected from Jeju Island.Methods:Antioxidant activity experiments were assessed by an electron spin resonance system and a cellular model of immortalized human keratinocytes(HaCaT)to determine its radical scavenging activity and protective effects against 2,2’-azobis(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride(AAPH)-induced oxidative stress.Antimelanogenic activity of the ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber was also examined using the melanoma cell model B16F10 and mushroom tyrosinase.Following the induction byα-melanocytestimulating hormone,the effects of the ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber on intracellular tyrosinase activity,melanin content and the melanogenic protein expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor,tyrosinase,and tyrosinase-related proteins(TRP-1,and TRP-2)were examined.Results:The ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber significantly scavenged 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and alkyl radicals[IC50:(0.924±0.035)and(0.327±0.006)mg/mL,respectively],as well as showed a protective effect against oxidative stress and attenuated generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species on AAPHinduced HaCaT cells,with no cytotoxicity(12.5-400μg/mL).The ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber also exhibited a tyrosinase inhibitory effect[IC50:(2.750±0.006)mg/mL].Onα-melanocytestimulating hormone-stimulated B16F10 melanoma cells,the ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber(25-200μg/mL)significantly inhibited not only melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity,but also protein expressions of microphthalmia-associated transcriptional factor,tyrosinase,TRP-1,and TRP-2.Conclusions:The ultrasonic extract of red sea cucumber shows antioxidant and anti-melanogenic potential and may be a natural candidate for anti-aging as well as a whitening agent in the cosmeceuticals industry.

Effect of Shrimp(Litopenaeus vannamei) Farming Waste on the Growth, Digestion, Ammonium-Nitrogen Excretion of Sea Cucumber(Stichopus monotuberculatus)

In this study, specific growth rate(SGR), ingestion rate(IR), food conversion ratio(FCR), apparent digestion ratio(ADR) and ammonium-nitrogen excretion were determined for sea cucumber(Stichopus monotuberculatus) reared in plastic containers(70 L; 4 containers each diet treatment). Sea cucumbers were fed with five diets containing different amounts of farming waste from shrimp(Litopenaeus vannamei)(100%, 75%, 50%, 25% and 0) and a formulated compound(20% sea mud and 80% powdered algae). Sea cucumbers grew faster when they were fed with diet D(25% shrimp waste and 75% formulated compound) than those fed with other diets. Although IR value of sea cucumber fed with diet A(shrimp waste) was higher than those fed with other diets, both the lowest SGR and the highest FCR occurred in this diet group. The highest and the lowest ADR occurred in diet E(formulated compound) and diet A group, respectively, and the same to ammonium-nitrogen excretion. The contents of crude protein, crude lipid and total organic matter(TOM) in feces decreased in comparison with corresponding diets. In the feces from different diet treatments, the contents of crude protein and TOM increased gradually as the contents of crude protein and TOM in diets increased, while crude lipid content decreased gradually as the crude lipid content in diets increased.

Application of Wet Waste from Shrimp(Litopenaeus vannamei) with or Without Sea Mud to Feeding Sea Cucumber(Stichopus monotuberculatus)

In the present study, the applicability of the wet waste collected from shrimp(Litopenaeus vannamei) to the culture of sea cucumber(Stichopus monotuberculatus) was determined. The effects of dietary wet shrimp waste on the survival, specific growth rate(SGR), fecal production rate(FPR), ammonia- and nitrite-nitrogen productions of sea cucumber were studied. The total organic matter(TOM) level in the feces of sea cucumber was compared with that in corresponding feeds. Diet C(50% wet shrimp waste and 50% sea mud mash) made sea cucumber grow faster than other diets. Sea cucumber fed with either diet D(25% wet shrimp waste and 75% sea mud mash) or sole sea mud exhibited negative growth. The average lowest total FPR of sea cucumber occurred in diet A(wet shrimp waste), and there was no significant difference in total FPR between diet C and diet E(sea mud mash)(P > 0.05). The average ammonia-nitrogen production of sea cucumber in different diet treatments decreased gradually with the decrease of crude protein content in different diets. The average highest nitrite-nitrogen production occurred in diet E treatment, and there was no significant difference in nitrite-nitrogen production among diet A, diet B(75% wet shrimp waste and 25% sea mud mash) and diet C treatments(P > 0.05). In each diet treatment, the total organic matter(TOM) level in feces decreased to different extent compared with that in corresponding feeds.

Characterization of mitochondrial genome of sea cucumber Stichopus horrens:A novel gene arrangement in Holothuroidea

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence contains useful information for phylogenetic analyses of metazoa. In this study, the complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of sea cucumber Stichopus horrens （Holothuroidea： Sdchopodidae： Stichopus） is presented. The complete sequence was determined using normal and long PCRs. The mitochondrial genome of Stichopus horrens is a circular molecule 16257 bps long, composed of 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes. Most of these genes are coded on the heavy strand except for one protein-coding gene （had6） and five tRNA genes （tRNAser（UcN）, tRNAGtn, tRNAAla, tRNA val, tRNAASp） which are coded on the light strand. The composition of the heavy strand is 30.8% A, 23.7% C, 16.2% G, and 29.3% T bases （AT skew=0.025; GC skew=-0.188）. A non-coding region of 675 bp was identified as a putative control region because of its location and AT richness. The intergenic spacers range from 1 to 50 bp in size, totaling 227 bp. A total of 25 overlapping nucleotides, ranging from 1 to 10 bp in size, exist among 11 genes. All 13 protein-coding genes are initiated with an ATG. The TAA codon is used as the stop codon in all the protein coding genes ex- cept nad3 and nad4 that use TAG as their termination codon. The most frequently used amino acids are Leu （16.29%）, Ser （10.34%） and Phe （8.37%）. All of the tRNA genes have the potential to fold into typical cloverleaf secondary structures. We also compared the order of the genes in the mitochondrial DNA from the five holothurians that are now available and found a novel gene arrangement in the mitochondrial DNA of Stichopus horrens.

海湾扇贝、刺参、魁蚶间作立体混养模式试验

为充分利用水体空间,降低养殖成本,在海洋牧场海域进行了海湾扇贝(Argopecten irradians)、刺参(Stichopus japonicus)、魁蚶(Scapharca broughtonii)间作立体混养试验,形成由不同营养级生物组成的综合养殖系统。苗种增殖后对试验海域和非试验海域进行了水质监测,结果显示,苗种增殖对试验海域没有造成污染,而三个水产品种的滤食特性对水质有一定的改善。统计三个水产品种收获情况,海湾扇贝、刺参和魁蚶产量分别为11000 kg/hm^(2)、767.59 kg/hm^(2)和1302 kg/hm^(2)。试验证明,海湾扇贝、刺参、魁蚶间作立体混养模式不仅具有较好的生态效益,同时具有显著的经济效益。

刺参稚参对蛋白质和脂肪需求量的初步研究

实验设计了粗蛋白水平分别为12%,18%,26%,32%,37%,44%,粗脂肪水平分别为3%,5%,8%,以藻粉、白鱼粉和酪蛋白等为主要原料的刺参实验饲料,用以饲喂平均体质量为0.90 g的刺参(Stichopus japonicus).经过66 d的饲养实验,测定了试验刺参的质量增长率、脏壁比和体成分等指标.结果显示,饲料中粗蛋白、粗脂肪水平对刺参的生长和脏壁比有明显影响.实验刺参在粗蛋白水平为18.21%～24.18%、粗脂肪为5%时获得最大生长,同时获得最低的脏壁比.体成分等指标没有受到饲料中粗蛋白和粗脂肪水平的明显影响.因此可以认为,刺参的最佳蛋白质和脂肪需要量分别为18.21%～24.18%和5%.

刺参-单环刺螠池塘生态健康养殖技术

刺参(Stichopus japonicus)与单环刺螠(Urechis unicinctus)池塘生态混养试验中,池塘进、排水口COD、磷酸盐、总磷、氨氮、亚硝酸盐、硝酸盐和总氮含量对比表明:池塘排水口的COD、总氮、氨氮较进水口有明显的降低,生态效益明显。该养殖模式每公顷生产刺参和单环刺螠合计4950 kg,产值65.25万元,纯利润35.25万元,经济效益显著。

Diverse habitat preferences of two sea cucumber species and the seasonal change in a coral reef area

Diff erent sea cucumbers have diff erent preferred habitats and seasonal changes,which is still lack of detailed research.This study selects two common tropical sea cucumbers(Holothuria edulis and Stichopus chloronotus)to explore the reasons that aff ect their habitat selection and seasonal changes,so as to provide support for the spatial planning of sea cucumbers reserve in coral reef area.The study area is a compound distribution area of living coral reefs and sandy bottom in the north of Wuzhizhou Island.The survey time is January,April-September,2019.Three fi xed transects(G,H,and Q)were selected to reveal the population ecological characteristics of them in the typical dry season(January,April,May,and June)and rainy season(July,August,and September).The variation range of density for H.edulis and S.chloronotus were 2.0-8.9 inds./10 m^(2) and 0.2-0.7 inds./10 m^(2),respectively.The population density in rainy season was signifi cantly higher than that in dry season(P<0.05).H.edulis tends to be distributed in deeper water.The distribution of H.edulis was signifi cant positively correlated with the sand coverage and sand continuity in G transect(P<0.05),and signifi cant negatively correlated with live coral coverage in three transects(P<0.01).The shift from dry season to rainy season is a key factor aff ecting their habitat preference.In dry season,the preferred habitats of S.chloronotus are small rock(SR),sand(S),and small coral reef(SCR),while the H.edulis is S,SR,and dead coral rubbles(DCR).In rainy season,the preferred habitats of S.chloronotus are shift to SCR and SR,while the H.edulis is SCR,DCR,and sand.

刺参海水网箱生态育苗技术

刺参(Stichopus japonicus)是中国重要的水产养殖品种之一,其苗种需求持续增长。文章介绍了刺参海水网箱生态育苗技术,包括海区选择、网箱结构与设置、苗种繁育及放养、生理生态学指标监测、日常管理和参苗出箱等,供广大养殖者参考。

马粪海胆与刺参自然海区网箱混养技术

2019年3月,在大连近海内湾海域投放3 m×3 m×3 m网箱进行马粪海胆(Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus)与刺参(Stichopus japonicus)的混养试验,到2020年5月陆续投放400多个网箱,并配套设置海藻养殖台筏,到2021年9月,马粪海胆产量200~250 kg/箱,成活率70%,总产值达到4万元/箱以上,净利润2.5万~2.8万元/箱,经济效益和社会效益显著。