{"entity":{"id":"sea-cucumber-extract","kind":"technology","name":"Sea cucumber extract","aka":[],"tldr":"Sea cucumber is a marine animal eaten as a delicacy in Asia and sold as a supplement for joints and cancer. Laboratory studies show anticancer activity, but there is no clinical evidence for its use in any condition, and it may add to the effect of blood thinners.","summary":"Sea cucumbers are marine invertebrates used in traditional Chinese medicine for fatigue, impotence, constipation and joint pain, and are rich in mucopolysaccharides such as chondroitin sulfate. Memorial Sloan Kettering's About Herbs summary reports antiangiogenic, antitumour, antiproliferative and antiviral activity of their saponins and fatty acids in vitro, preliminary findings in chronic gingivitis, and states that clinical evidence for its use in any condition is lacking. People allergic to seafood should avoid it. MSK notes that its sulfated fucan and fucosylated chondroitin sulfate may potentiate anticoagulants, and records skin, eye and airway irritation in workers exposed to aerosolised sea cucumber saponins.","status":"concept","asOf":"2026-11-04","links":[{"label":"MSK About Herbs: Sea cucumber (page last updated 26 February 2021)","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/sea-cucumber"}],"tags":["complementary","supportive-care","evidence:insufficient"],"related":["fucoidan-seaweed","scorpion-venom-escozul"],"cancers":[],"sections":["supportive-care","nutrition-lifestyle"],"technologies":["integrative-oncology","dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions","shark-cartilage"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":["unproven-diet-claims"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":["b-misinformation"],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"principle":"Triterpene glycosides (holothurins) and sulfated polysaccharides with cytotoxic and anticoagulant activity in laboratory studies.","strengths":["A food in Asian cuisine"],"limitations":["No clinical evidence for any condition","May add to anticoagulants","Seafood allergy"]},"route":"/technologies/sea-cucumber-extract/","neighbours":{"technology":[{"id":"scorpion-venom-escozul","kind":"technology","name":"Blue scorpion venom (Escozul, Vidatox)","route":"/technologies/scorpion-venom-escozul/"},{"id":"dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions","kind":"technology","name":"Dietary supplements during cancer treatment: interactions and harms","route":"/technologies/dietary-supplements-treatment-interactions/"},{"id":"integrative-oncology","kind":"technology","name":"Evidence-based integrative oncology","route":"/technologies/integrative-oncology/"},{"id":"fucoidan-seaweed","kind":"technology","name":"Fucoidan (brown seaweed extract)","route":"/technologies/fucoidan-seaweed/"},{"id":"shark-cartilage","kind":"technology","name":"Shark cartilage (AE-941, Neovastat)","route":"/technologies/shark-cartilage/"}],"section":[{"id":"nutrition-lifestyle","kind":"section","name":"Diet, Exercise & Lifestyle","route":"/fronts/nutrition-lifestyle/"},{"id":"supportive-care","kind":"section","name":"Supportive Care & Survivorship","route":"/fronts/supportive-care/"}],"term":[{"id":"unproven-diet-claims","kind":"term","name":"Unproven diet claims (alkaline, juice, 'anti-cancer' diets)","route":"/terms/unproven-diet-claims/"}],"bottleneck":[{"id":"b-misinformation","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Misinformation and unproven therapies","route":"/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/"}]}}