Untargeted Metabolomic Profiling of Pseudocnella sykion from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa using 1 H-NMR and UPLC-QTOF-HR-MS

Cassandra Upton¹Gerhard Prinsloo²Paul Anton Steenkamp³Moses Okpeku^1*

• ¹University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
• ²University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
• ³University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Sea cucumbers are ecologically and economically significant marine invertebrates, yet the metabolic diversity and bioactive potential of non-commercialised, endemic species remains poorly understood. This study presents the first intra-species metabolomic analysis of Pseudocnella sykion, a species endemic to the Eastern coast of Southern Africa, using untargeted 1 H-NMR metabolomics and full-scan UPLC-QTOF-HR-MS. The analysis revealed a diverse array of metabolites associated with protein synthesis, tissue growth, osmoregulation, and energy utilisation, with distinct tissuespecific patterns across the body wall, gonad, and gut/mesentery. The gut/mesentery tissue showed higher levels of amino acids and energy-related compounds. UPLC-QTOF-HR-MS tentatively identified several metabolites, including triterpene glycosides and rosmarinic acid, a phenolic compound typically associated with plants. Online resources, including the Dictionary of Marine Natural Products, contained no previously recorded compounds for P. sykion. These findings underscore the untapped potential of P. sykion as a source of novel metabolites and demonstrate the utility of untargeted metabolomics in generating baseline profiles for underexplored marine species.The results offer a foundation for future research into bioactivity, environmental monitoring, and cultivation strategies. While this study provides critical baseline data, challenges in metabolite identification and extraction underscore the need for further targeted analyses. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of the metabolic dynamics of sea cucumbers and advocates for continued exploration of lesser-known species to support conservation, bioprospecting, and sustainable aquaculture. It represents a pioneering effort in metabolomic profiling of Southern African sea cucumber species and lays the groundwork for future investigations into their metabolic pathways and potential bioactivities.