Anticancer Potential of Holothurin A, Holothurin B, and Holothurin B3 from the Sea Cucumber Holothuria scabra

Sea cucumbers have a wide distribution and high abundance in Indonesia. Previous research has shown that sea cucumbers have an anticancer function and have toxicity to various types of cancer cells. Furthermore, we identified the anticancer compounds of the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra collected from the South Malang sea. H. scabra was extracted using methanol, and then the active compound content was analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). From the results of the analysis, it is known that the methanol extract of H. scabra contains three types of anticancer compounds, namely holothurin A, holothurin B, and holothurin B3. Based on in silico analysis, it is estimated that the holothurin compounds have target proteins, namely BCL2, HDAC1, and PTPN2, which play an essential role in the process of apoptosis, cell cycle, and suppressing tumor. The results of this study show that sea cucumber might have anticancer, although various in vitro and in vivo tests are needed to prove the anticancer mechanism.