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| Latin: |
Isostichopus badionotus |
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| Origin: |
Sea cucumber belongs to any of the 1,100 species of marine invertebrates, such as Holothuria mexicana and Isostichopus badionotus, constituting the class Holothuroidea of the phylum Echinodermata, of the family Stichopodidae.
The soft, cylindrical body, 2 to 200 cm long and 1 to 20 cm thick, usually is a dull, dark color and often warty, thus resembling a cucumber. The internal skeleton is reduced to numerous distinctively shaped, tiny bits in the skin. Most species have five rows of tube feet extending from mouth to anus. The anal opening is used for both respiration and discharging wastes. The 10 or more retractile tentacles surrounding the mouth are used for food-taking (mud containing nutrients or small aquatic animals) or burrowing. Locomotion is sluglike.
Many sea cucumbers can expel their internal organs from the anus and grow new ones. This may be a device for escape from a predator, or it may occur for physiological reasons. Some species also expel sticky filaments that ensnare or confuse an enemy.
A number of sea cucumbers exude a toxin that is lethal to small animals but not to humans; South Sea islanders place sea cucumber juices in water to kill or stupefy fish.
Sea cucumbers are found in all oceans, mostly in shallow water but sometimes at great depths. They are best represented in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. The 80 to 100 species of large, warty cucumbers of the genus Holothuria are abundant on coral reefs. |
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| Properties: |
| Sweet and salty in flavor, warm in nature, it is related to the channels of the liver and kidney. |
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| Functions: |
| Tonifies the kidney, replenisihes qi (the vital essence), nourishes the blood, moistens dryness of intestines, and stops bleeding. |
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| Applications: |
| Sea cucumber is used to treat deficiency of the essence and blood, weakness, impotence and seminal emission, frequent urination, constipation due to dryness of the intestinal tract, and debility of the aged. |
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| Dosage and Administration: |
| To be made into soup or eaten sauted after soaked. |
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| Cautions on Use: |
| Patients suffering from diarrhea due to deficiency of the spleen or excessive phlegm should avoid it. |
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| Reference Materials: |
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| Toxic or Side Effects: |
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| Modern Researches: |
| Sea cucumber contains protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sterol, triterpenol and iodine. |
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