INTRODUCTION OF SEA CUCUMBER (STICHOPUS VARIEGATUS HERMANNI)
Sea cucumber very popular among people nowadays with their benefit function in health and beauty. Four of us had been do a site review to see in real eyes about sea cucumber at Nusantara Maju Enterprise which is produce traditional medicine. It is located at Pulau Langkawi, Kedah. One of the process that we observed was the making of gamat oil (Kamarul, 2017).
The kingdom of sea cucumber that had been observed was the Animalia, phylum belong to Echinodermata, class is Holothuroidea, in order of Synallactida, family of Stichopodidae, genus of Stichopus, and the species was the Stichopus variegatus hermanni.
Sea cucumbers are echinoderms which is look like starfish and sea urchins. There are some 1,250 that were known species. Their shape mostly look alike eventhough not the same species. All sea cucumbers are ocean dwellers and some live in the deep of ocean. Their ecology more to the ocean floor with the others marine life.
Sea cucumbers feed on tiny particles like algae, minute aquatic animals, or waste materials, which they gather in with 8 to 30 tube feet that look like tentacles surrounding their mouths. The animals break down these particles into even smaller pieces, which become fodder for bacteria, and thus recycle them back into the ocean ecosystem. Earthworms perform a similar function in terrestrial ecosystems.
Sea cucumbers, particularly laying eggs and young larvae. Their eggs probably become a prey to the predator in the marine life. Sea cucumber also become important to the human for traditional medicine and for delicious food. It is not threatened like others marine life. While when it be threatened, some sea cucumbers discharge sticky threads to ensnare their enemies. Others can mutilate their own bodies as a defense mechanism. When startled, these cucumbers may expel the tubules through a tear in the wall of the cloaca
Sea cucumbers can breed sexually or asexually. Sexual reproduction is more typical, but the process is not very intimate. The animals release both eggs and sperm into the water and fertilization occurs when they meet. There must be many individuals in a sea cucumber population for this reproductive method to be successful. It is basically all luck on whether or not the organisms are close to other organisms during mating.
THE PROCESS OF MAKING SEA CUCUMBER
Handling at sea
Gutting
Salting curing
Drying
Cooking
Smoke curing
The are many steps for process of making sea cucumber. Firstly, Postharvest handling at sea. Sea cucumbers should be kept cool in the boat or in a bag in seawater. If put them in the boat, keep them shaded. Try not to stack too many on top of one another, as this may cause them to become damaged. For instance, put all blackfish species (Actinopyga) together. Always be careful not to allow the skin to be damaged or broken. Some sea cucumbers will begin to fall apart if they become hot or too dry. Keep these species in a drum of fresh cool seawater in the shade in the boat and change the water often.
Next, Gutting. Always take care when cutting the sea cucumbers. Asian consumers want a straight cut that is in the right place for each species. Besides that, do not cut all the way through the mouth and anus. Generally, smaller cuts are better than long cuts. Make sure that you remove all of the guts but leave the muscle bands in the animal. Clean out all of the sand in the sea cucumbers. Leave at least three finger widths (5 cm) uncut before the mouth and anus. For prickly redfish, some processors make one or two small cuts, just enough to squeeze out all of the guts.
Salt Curing. Salt removes water from the body of the sea cucumbers. It will also make the product heavier after it is cooked and dried, which means that will make more money if the product is sold by weight. Coarse or medium-grade salt must be used. Fine salt may damage the skin of the sea cucumbers. Coarse salt gives a slow penetration of the salt into the flesh of the sea cucumber, which is desired. There are two general methods for salting such ash wet salting and dry salting.
Next step, Cooking. There are several methods that can be used to cook sea cucumbers. Cooking too hot can damage the skin of sea cucumbers. The best method is to cook once, then dry for 2–3 days, then cook a second and even a third time if needed. Try to use saltwater in a pot for cooking the sea cucumbers, rather than freshwater. Saltwater will retain the colour of the sea cucumbers and keep the skin from being damaged. If cannot use saltwater for cooking, use freshwater. Normally, it will cook for 10 to 30 minutes regarding to the species.
Last step, will be smoke curing and drying. Not all processors in Pacific Island countries do smoke curing of sea cucumbers. We can use wood or coconut husks for smoking them. Smoke curing is good if we cannot do salt curing and help the sea cucumbers to dry properly in rainy weather. We use a homemade smoke oven to smoke the sea cucumbers. Use racks well above the fire and allow some smoke to escape from the top. Also, we can smoke the sea cucumbers after the first cooking or after the second cooking. Sea cucumbers need to be dried very well after cooking. Then, put a sticks between species and dried them in the sun on the racks.
BENEFITS OF SEA CUCUMBER IN PRODUCTS.
i. Gamat Herbalika Oil
Gamat is a species of Sea Cucumbers which are marine creatures having leathery skin and a long body. When other ingredients like herbs and coconut oil are mixed with gamat, then the resulting fluid is known as "Minyak Gamat" which can be applied externally for healing ailments such as cuts & injuries and even tooth aches. Gamat Herbalika Oil can heal both internal and external body ailments like aches, ulcers, burns and injuries also healing could be for peptic or duodenal ulcers, bleeding piles or even stomach aches. Raj Bhattacharya, Nusantra's factory is marked by a huge artificial gamat bottle which is kept outside in the premises. They have internal guides who will show you gamat processing. You will be taken to the large containers where the gamat is slowly heated for 3 days. While the oil gets very hot, they say that you can dip your finger into the oil and it won't actually burn, although you may still feel the boiling heat. But you have to do it real quick.
ii. Sea Cucumber Soap and Moisturizer
This sea cucumber soap is made up of moisturizing ingredients and has a refreshing lemongrass scent. Sea cucumber soap contains a lot of infused sea cucumber oil together with other ingredients such as Coconut oil. Combina Coconut Oil and Sea Cucumber extract provides hydration for tired and dry skin and improves overall skin health which is good for skin repair and some of it contain pepper mint essential oil which has cooling and refreshing effect to the skin.Normally, this soap is made using cold process which helps to retain the natural glycerine that will moisturize the skin. Thus making the soap really natural and good for those having sensitive skin, sunburn and other skin problem such as irritation and rashes. Sea cucumbers can quicken the healing process of wound, skin eruptions, ulcers and very good for the immune system. Fyoo Japan (2018) Japan people use this soap because of its undeniable beautiful skin effect with natural collagen that will rejuvenates and smoothen skin texture. It is also good to cure black spots, pimples, oily face, freckles and itchiness of your skin.
iii. Cold Herbs and Sea Cucumber Powder
Cold herbs and Sea Cucumber Powder are talcum powder, mixed herbs, essence and gamat water. Benefits of this product it can remove acne and black spots in advance.
iv. Nusantara Face Cleanser (Traditional and Science)
Nusantara Face Cleanser is one of the skin care products that helping to clean out all the impurities and oils on our skin. Kim, Lian & Nawawi (2015) write that our skin structure are divide into layer which are epidermis, dermis and adipose tissue which are very important to our health and beauty. In this study, we find out that the main ingredients in the Nusantara face cleanser is sea cucumber that very useful and bring a lot of beneficial to human skin. Siahaan et al. (2017) state that sea cucumber consists of high amounts of collagen and mucopolysaccharides which approximately 70% of insoluble collagen fibers, which can converted into gelatin after being hydrolized. Sea cucumber collagen have been mainly function to help damaged tissue repairing, antioxidant, antitumor and angiotensin. Antioxidant have been used in skin care products to prevent or even to restore the damage caused by environmental, such as UV rays and low humidity, as well as damage caused by the damage allied with the aging process. In addition, there is also an anti-aging activities inside the sea cucumber which been identified in the epidermial tissues of the sea cucumber. This tissues keep the skin elasticity and prevent aging on our skin. Plus, sea cucumber promotes a natural cleansing of skin by opening pores, there by helps in restoring shinning clear skin besides rehydration and regeneration skin cells (Uppala, 2015).
v. Sea Cucumber Hair Shampoo
Sea cucumber hair shampoo are formulated to improve hair and scalp condition. Plus, it was formulated from selected herbs such as purified sea cucumber extract and others ingredients like cocamidopropyl betaine, citric acid, panthenol and deionized water. The sea cucumber extract not only helps to maintain and enhance a healthy scalp but also renders hair fresh, vibrant and manageable. There are research led by Professor Dr.Ridzwan Hashim and his team at University Islam Antarabangsa states that nutrient-rich of sea cucumber supplies protein, amino acids, vitamins, mineral and essential fatty acids that can help to improve cellular oxygenation and scalp micro-circulation. In addition, sea cucumber extract can promotes a heathy scalp by balancing the secretions and improves hair elasticity as well as hair with a conditioning microfilm.
Conclusion
Sea cucumber has a many benefit especially to health field. There many uses and impact of sea cucumber to community, economics and social. Sea cucumber has big impact towards development and become part of an economic resources for income to generating communities. For example, people can use sea cucumber to create a beauty or health product. In addition, this sea cucumber also has its own benefits in terms of health science. Society itself will has gained many benefits from sea cucumber.