The Impact of Oxygen and Ascorbic Acid Treatments on the Physicochemical Attributes of Live Sea Cucumber During Extended Transportation/Storage

Sea cucumbers were stored live in 25% oxygen or 25 mg/mL of ascorbic acid for 7 days, for comparison purposes. The condition of the individuals was assessed through the sensory scores, bacterial communities, and biochemical indexes. The oxygen treatment extended preservation by 2 days compared to ascorbic acid. After 7 days, the total volatile basic nitrogen and the microbial content in all sea cucumbers were within acceptable limits. The actin degradation rate reached 1.3416 +/- 0.03%, and cathepsin B and L increased by 94.6% and 59.1%, respectively, in the Control group. The quality decline of sea cucumbers during storage was caused by autolysis rather than spoilage organisms. (1) The evidence indicates autolysis occurred during sea cucumber storage, with 94.6% and 59.1% improvement in cathepsin B and L, respectively, and actin degradation of 1.3416 +/- 0.03%.(2) The quality decline of sea cucumbers during storage was caused by autolysis rather than spoilage organisms.(3) The score evaluation revealed that the preservation time was two days longer with oxygen treatment (25%) than with ascorbic acid treatment (25 mg/mL).