Proximate Composition and Quality Properties of some Egyptian Sea Cucumber Species

Abstract

The current study aimed to evaluate the proximate composition and quality properties of eight Egyptian sea cucumbers (Bohadschia argus, H. arguinensis, H. mammata, H. poli, H. sanctori, H. tubulosa, H. forskali and Stichopus regalis) collected during October 2023 from the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria Governorate. Proximate composition, pH value, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethyylamine (TMA), thiobarbituric acid value (TBA), water activity, fatty acids, total bacterial counts (TBC), and sensory quality aspects of sea cucumbers samples were determined. The results revealed that significant differences in chemical composition, physicochemical, microbiological and sensory analysis were observed between species (P< 0.05). The moisture, protein, fat, ash, carbohydrate, and energy values of the analyzed sea cucumbers samples ranged between 79.11-87.58%, 7.78-9.35%, 0.19-1.95%, 0.65-6.50%, 0.18-6.34%, and 34.36-52.39Kcal/ 100g, respectively. While, the pH value, water activity, TVBN, TMA TBA, and TBC ranged between 8.01-8.87, 0.911-0.973aw, 12.08-13.87mg/ 100g, 1.09-1.75mg/ 100g, 0.11-0.16mg MDA/ kg, and 3.11-3.94cfu/ g, respectively. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences between sea cucumber species in chemical composition, physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory quality aspects, while these values didn’t exceed the maximum permissible limits, moreover, these species are deemed safe for human consumption. However, further research is essential to be carried out in the future to reveal the potential biopharmaceutical value and development of functional foods from the species under study.