Metabolic Profiling of Apostichopus japonicus Body Wall Exposed to 2,2',4,4'-Tetrabromodiphenyl Ether (BDE-47)

Sea cucumbers are a valuable commercial species of echinoderm, with their body wall being the edible part of the organism. However, the effects of persistent organic pollutants such as 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) on the body wall of sea cucumbers are still poorly understood. In this study, we utilized UPLC-Triple TOF-MS and multivariate analysis to investigate the metabolic changes in the body wall of Apostichopus japonicus exposed to three concentrations of BDE-47. Our results demonstrated that BDE-47 exposure induced significant alterations in the metabolic profiles of the body wall. A total of 102, 102 and 95 metabolites in the low, moderate and high BDE-47 concentrations treated group were altered significantly, and various disrupted metabolic pathways were identified and characterized. The identified metabolites and metabolic pathways were mainly involved in various biological processes such as lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, immunity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and neurotoxicity. The findings of this study may provide valuable insights into the potential health risks posed by BDE-47 exposure on sea cucumbers, and could support the development of effective strategies to protect the aquaculture industry of sea cucumbers.