Sea Cucumber

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Sea Cucumber

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Sea Cucumber

Common Names

  • Holothurian
  • Haishen

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For Patients & Caregivers

How It Works

Sea cucumber has not been shown to prevent or treat cancer.

Sea cucumber is a marine invertebrate related to sea urchins and star fish. It is dried and used in soups and other dishes and is considered a delicacy in Asian countries. Sea cucumber is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fatigue, impotence, constipation, frequent urination, and joint pain. It is also a rich source of chondroitin sulfate, commonly used for arthritis. There are no reports of adverse effects from use of sea cucumber.

Purported Uses
  • Cancer Treatment
    Laboratory experiments suggest a saponin component derived from sea cucumber may have antitumor effects by inhibiting formation of new blood vessels. This effect has not been studied in humans.
  • Longevity
    Sea cucumber is used in Chinese medicine to increase longevity, but there are no clinical data to support this use.
  • Impotence
    Although Sea cucumber in Chinese medicine used to treat impotence, there are no clinical data to back this use.
  • Joint Pain
    Sea cucumber is a rich source of chondroitin sulfate, shown to be effective for osteoarthritis.
  • Frequent Urination
    Sea cucumber is used in Chinese medicine to treat urinary problems. However, clinical data to support this use are lacking.
Do Not Take If
  • You are allergic to seafood.
  • You are taking anticoagulants: The polysaccharides present in sea cucumber may increase the effects of anticoagulants, increasing the risk of bleeding.
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For Healthcare Professionals

Scientific Name
Staurocucumis liouvillei, Mensamaria intercedens Lampert, Cucumaria frondosa
Clinical Summary

Sea cucumber is a marine invertebrate found all over the world. It is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fatigue, impotence, constipation, frequent urination, and joint pain. It is also a rich source of mucopolysaccharides, especially chondroitin sulfate, commonly used for arthritis.

In vitro studies have shown that the saponins and fatty acids present in sea cucumber are responsible for its anti-angiogenic, anti-tumor (2), antiproliferative (1), and antiviral properties (4) (3). Preliminary findings suggest that sea cucumber extract is beneficial in treating chronic gingivitis (5).
 

Food Sources

Sea cucumbers are considered a delicacy in Asian countries. They are cooked, dried and used in soups and other dishes.

Purported Uses
  • Antiaging
  • Arthritis
  • Cancer treatment
  • Frequent urination
  • Impotence
Mechanism of Action

A branched-chain fatty acid known as 12-methyltetradecanoic acid, isolated from sea cucumber, is thought to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation by increasing caspase-3 activity (1). The proposed mechanism for the anti-angiogenic and antitumor effects of Philinopside A, a saponin derived from sea cucumber, is by inhibiting tyrosine kinase receptors (2). Frondoside A, a triterpenoid glycoside from Cucumaria frondosa, also has anti-angiogenic activity (9).

Contraindications

Sea cucumber may not be appropriate for individuals who are allergic to seafood.

Herb-Drug Interactions

Anticoagulants: The polysaccharides sulfated fucan and fucosylated chondroitin sulfate may potentiate the actions of anticoagulants (8).

References

  9. Attoub S, Arafat K, Ge´laude A, et al. Frondoside A Suppressive Effects on Lung Cancer Survival, Tumor Growth, Angiogenesis, Invasion, and Metastasis. PLoS ONE 2013; 8(1): e53087. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053087
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