Abstract: Saponins are the primary secondary metabolites of sea cucumber, which are the material basis for its chemical defense. Sea cucumber saponins possess multiple biological properties including antitumor activity, immunoenhancing effect and ameliorative effect on metabolic syndrome, and therefore hold great promise in the development of health products and drugs. Sea cucumber saponins are complex and diverse, and their structural characteristics greatly affect their biological activities. This review begins with an overview of the sources and types of sea cucumber saponins, and then focuses on systematically summarizing the current status of research on their structural characteristics, bioactivities and action mechanisms. Finally, it gives an outlook on future prospects. We expect this review will provide a reference for the high-value development and utilization of sea cucumber saponins.

Key words: sea cucumber saponins; structural characteristics; biological activity; mechanism