Abstract:

Aim: To analyze the nutrient compositions of boiling water extract of sea cucumber, a by-product of the processing
of this valuable seafood. Methods: Glycoprotein from sea cucumber boiling water (GSCB) was prepared from by alcohol
precipitation, dialysis and lyophilization. The components and molecular weight of the crude glycoprotein were analyzed by
high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Sepharose CL-6B column chromatography, respectively. GSCB was
hydrolyzed, derivatized with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone, and then analyzed for monosaccharide composition by LCMS.
The amino acid analysis was carried out by HPLC. Results: Two kinds of glycoprotein in GSCB, with molecular weights
of 964.3 and 2.5 kD, respectively, were identified. GSCB was composed of glucosamine, mannose, galactosamine, glucose,
galactose and fucose. GSCB contained 8 kinds of essential amino acids, which account for 38.38% of the total amino acids.
Besides, the content of semi-essential amino acid, histidine, accounted for 13.21% of the total amino acids, which was
the most abundant among the 18 kinds of amino acids. Conclusion: Boiling water extract of sea cucumber contains acid
mucopolysaccharides and a high amount of essential amino acids. It is a good nutritive material and can be developed into
functional and healthy foods.

Key words: sea cucumber, boiling water, glycoprotein, monosaccharide composition, amino acid composition