Comp Biochem Physiol Part D Genomics Proteomics 2026 May 11;59:101862. doi: 10.1016/j.cbd.2026.101862.

Seasonal metabolite profiling of Thyone aurea from Saldanha Bay, South Africa.

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The pursuit of natural therapeutic drugs has fuelled interest in metabolomics, particularly marine metabolomics, with sea cucumbers standing out for their high nutritional value and potential for bioactive metabolites. However, limited research, especially in Southern Africa, has resulted in significant knowledge gaps regarding the value of lesser-known species, contributing to the exploitation of select high-value species due to rising market demand for holothurian products. This study aimed to address these gaps by characterising the metabolic profile of three body tissue extracts-body wall, gonad, and gut/mesentery-from Thyone aurea, an endemic species found along the Western Coast of Southern Africa, using untargeted 1H NMR metabolomics and full-scan UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. The results revealed a diverse array of amino acids, sugars, and organic acids, with the gut/mesentery tissue and spring-summer extracts exhibiting the highest potential for variable metabolites. However, these patterns represent relative signatures requiring further validation with fresh tissues. While some compounds may be integral to sea cucumber physiology, the origin of others remains unclear, warranting further research into holothurian metabolic pathways and the potential impact of dietary sources and microbial activity on the metabolome. Therefore, this study emphasises the importance of expanding research to understand the metabolic responses to environmental changes, which could offer valuable insights to support conservation and sustainable cultivation strategies. Moreover, these findings underscore the need to explore lesser-known species as alternative resources in cultivation strategies to promote sustainable holothurian resources for commercial, pharmaceutical, and nutritional applications. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of sea cucumber biology and underscores the importance of incorporating a broader range of species in scientific research.

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