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

Abstract

H 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.