Microbial and Physicochemical Status of Raw and Processed Sea Cucumbers from the Hellenic Seawaters

Ioannis S. Boziaris (), Dimitrios A. Anagnostopoulos, Foteini F. Parlapani, Faidra Syropoulou, Petros V. Martsikalis, Chrysoula Apostologamvrou, Despoina Kokioumi and Dimitris Vafidis
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Ioannis S. Boziaris: Laboratory of Marketing and Technology of Aquatic Products and Foods, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Dimitrios A. Anagnostopoulos: Laboratory of Marketing and Technology of Aquatic Products and Foods, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Foteini F. Parlapani: Laboratory of Marketing and Technology of Aquatic Products and Foods, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Faidra Syropoulou: Laboratory of Marketing and Technology of Aquatic Products and Foods, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Petros V. Martsikalis: Laboratory of Marketing and Technology of Aquatic Products and Foods, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Chrysoula Apostologamvrou: Marine Biology Laboratory, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Despoina Kokioumi: Laboratory of Marketing and Technology of Aquatic Products and Foods, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece
Dimitris Vafidis: Marine Biology Laboratory, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, 38446 Volos, Greece

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: The aquatic environment is a reservoir of many species that have not yet been exploited at a global level and have not been extensively investigated. The aim of the present work was to study the microbial populations, the bacterial communities and physicochemical parameters (pH, water activity, humidity, salinity) in raw, frozen, boiled, dehydrated and salted final products of two sea cucumber species ( Holothuria polii and Holothuria tubulosa ) originating from the Hellenic seawaters. The results indicated that all products were found at acceptable levels from a microbiological point of view. The metabarcoding analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed the existence of several different bacterial groups, the presence and abundance of which were mainly dependent on product type, even though some moderate differences in the microbiota profile between the two sea cucumber species were also detected in some of the products. Overall, the present work deals with an underexplored aquatic product and provides novel and useful information for the aquatic food industry, consumers and other stakeholders, increasing, in parallel, the need for further scientific attention in the near future. Our findings could be exploited as a baseline to highlight a promising aquatic food product provided to the international market.

Keywords: seafood; sea cucumber; processing; microbiota; next-generation sequencing; physicochemical attributes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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