Study on Nutritional Value of Instant Sea Cucumber Processed by the New Processing Approach

Abstract

In this study, the micrograph, the composition of amino acids and fatty acids were analyzed contrastively among the fresh, instant and commercial sea cucumber. The micrographs of fresh, instant and commercial sea cucumbers indicated that the processing technology of instant sea cucumber could effectively inhibit the damage of sea cucumber collagen structure and better maintain its original structure. Depending on the FAO/WHO and whole egg model to evaluate the sea cucumber protein's nutritional value, the results showed that instant sea cucumber owned the higher content of amino acid and the perfect profiles of amino acid, which meant that the protein of instant sea cucumber was easily digested and absorbed by human body and belonged to high quality protein. The instant sea cucumber was rich in essential fatty acids and n-3 series of polyunsaturated fatty acids and suitable for the Chinese residents' consumption. This study suggested that the instant sea cucumber was superior to the commercial sea cucumber with effective inhibition of the losing of nutrients and was fit for Chinese residents' consumption as a kind of high-quality products.