Abstract:Sea cucumbers contain a variety of biologically active substances, and are regarded as nourishing functional foods. Saponins are the most important class of secondary metabolite in sea cucumber, and have attracted much attention owing to their various biological activities (anti-tumor, ability to ameliorate diabetes mellitus and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, immunity enhancing, bone marrow hematopoiesis promoting, and cognitive dysfunction mitigating). This study systematically reviewed the main factors affecting sea cucumber and processed sea cucumber product saponin contents, and summarized the structures, biological activities, and biological activity-based applications of sea cucumber saponins. Furthermore, future development trends are forecasted to provide insights for further development and utilization of sea cucumber saponins.
