Aquatic Antagonists: Sea Cucumbers (Holothuroidea)

• Autor(a) principal: Ellis, Carter R.
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Elston, Dirk M., Joustra, Juan Pedro Lonza, Haddad, Vidal
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.12788/cutis.0323; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/231574

Sea cucumbers are sausage-shaped aquatic creatures living on the ocean floors across the world. They are considered a food delicacy in many countries but also are known to have many beneficial pharmaceutical properties; however, sea cucumbers also contain a dangerous component called holothurin, which has been shown to have a negative impact on the health of both humans and other wildlife. In humans, exposure to holothurin can cause a painful irritant dermatitis, irritation of the mucous membranes, potential blindness, and, if ingested, even possible death. Treatment options include irrigation with seawater, soap, isopropyl alcohol, and vinegar.