The Anticancer and Antioxidant Potential of Local Sea Cucumber Holothuria Edulis, an Ecology Balancer of Labuan Bajo Marine Ecosystem

Sea cucumbers are marine animals that contribute to the balance of marine ecosystems. Moreover, due to their secondary metabolites, they have biological activities such as antioxidants, anticancer, antimicrobial, and immunomodulators. The content of secondary metabolites depends on the extraction method. One example of a local sea cucumber from the Labuan Bajo marine is the black sea cucumber (Holothuria edulis). This research aimed to examine the toxicity, antioxidant, and anticancer activity of Holothuria edulis extract from various extraction methods (maceration, soxhletation, and ultrasonication). The extraction yields were 3.08 % (maceration), 11.92 % (soxhletation), and 2.54 % (ultrasonication). The secondary metabolites were identified as saponin, terpenoid, and flavonoid compounds. The toxicity analysis showed IC50 values of 81.0153±4.51 μg/ml (maceration), 59.526±3.80 μg/ml (ultrasonication), and 64.0838±5.42 μg/ml (soxhletation). The antioxidants IC50 values were 2.67±0.17 μg/ml (maceration), 1.89±0.20 μg/ml (ultrasonication), and 0.41±0.02 μg/ml (soxhletation). The anticancer IC50 values were 0.0404±0.004 μg/ml (maceration), 0.0012±0.0001 μg/ml (ultrasonication), and 0.0018±0.0001 μg/ml (soxhletation). Based on these results, ultrasonication exhibited a strong potential for anticancer and soxhletation for antioxidants. These findings suggest that there is an opportunity to enhance the market value of sea cucumbers which could serve as an incentive for nearby communities to engage in their cultivation, and in turn, could facilitate the sustainable preservation of the marine ecosystem.