احمد شادی

Objective: The present research was conducted to study antibacterial, cytotoxic and antioxidant activity of different crude extracts of Holothuria parva sea cucumber from North Persian Gulf. Methods: Crude extracts of sea cucumber was extracted using ethanol, Methanol, and water as solvents from whole body. Antimicrobial activity was screened against Shigella flexneri, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio alginolyticus and Salmonella group d using micro-dilution of medium method. The antioxidant activity of samples was assessed by lipid peroxidation assay. Cytotoxicity of samples was tested against Artemia urmiana nauplii. Results and Discussion: No significant antibacterial effects was found against studied bacteria at different extract concentrations; unexpectedly the growth of bacteria was increased significantly, which may related to enrichment effect of extracts in the microbial growth medium. All studied extract showed cytotoxic activity in different concentrations against Artemia urumiana nauplii, but ethanol extracts performed highest toxicity in comparison to other extracts. Different levels of antioxidant activity were found among extractions, in which the methanol extract showed highest antioxidant activity. The presence of saponins has been reported as secondary metabolites related to sea cucumber biomedical activities. In the present study apparently saponins were unable to react to bacterial cell wall and therefore the expected antibacterial activity was replaced by unexpected supplementary effects of extracts to bacterial growth. Confirmed antioxidant activity of sea cucumber extracts in the present study may related to their phenol content which are important components against cardiovascular and cancer inhibition.