Food Res Int 2026 Jun 30;240:119604. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2026.119604.

Enhancing the bioactivity of sea cucumber powder through ultrafine grinding: Zebrafish xenograft tumor model reveals regulation of oxidative stress and inhabitation of the human colon cancer cell line growth.

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Colon cancer (CC) is a malignant tumor of the digestive tract and one of the most common cancers worldwide. It is closely associated with multiple risk factors, including chronic intestinal diseases such as polyps and inflammatory bowel disease. The conventional treatment for CC is drug intervention (such as fluorouracil drugs). Recently, dietary intervention has attracted increasing attention because of its safety, accessibility, and potential effectiveness. In this study, the inhibitory effect of sea cucumber ultrafine powder (SCUP) on CC was investigated using an SW620 cell zebrafish xenograft model. Tumor growth, tumor metastasis, cell apoptosis, and changes in key cell markers were evaluated. The results showed that ultrafine grinding technology could effectively enhance the antitumor ability of sea cucumber powder (SCP). Compared with the control group, the number of tumor cells and migration distance in the SCUP group decreased by 33% and 68%, respectively. Histopathological sections showed a significant reduction in tumor cells in the SCUP-H group. The results of key cell markers indicated that the levels of CAT, GPX, and SOD were significantly increased, thereby maintaining the level of reactive oxygen species. This also confirmed that SCUP intervened in the occurrence and development of tumors by regulating oxidative stress. This finding provided important evidence for safe and effective dietary interventions in CC prevention and treatment, and paves a new avenue for ultrafine grinding technology to enhance the antitumor activity of products.

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