Review: Medicinal and pharmaceutical uses of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis Linnaeus, 1758)

Abstract. Safira RN, Hafiffah AS, Allobua BSN, Mukarromah AN, Aulia AD, Naim DM, Setyawan AD. 2024. Review: Medicinal and pharmaceutical uses of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis Linnaeus, 1758). Cell Biol Dev 8: 75-89. Skipjack tuna or skipjack fish or cakalang (Katsuwonus pelamis Linnaeus, 1758) belongs to the Scombridae family. The skipjack tuna has a fusiform, round, elongated body, gill segments, small conical teeth, dark purplish-blue with a silvery underside and abdomen, and an elongated dark line. The body length of the skipjack tuna can reach 1 meter, with the weight reaching more than 18 kg. Skipjack tuna is widely spread from the western and central Pacific to the Indian Oceans, including Indonesia. Skipjack tuna can only live in salt water and live off the continental shelf in the open sea. Ecologically, this fish is an indicator of the environmental conditions in the habitat of skipjack tuna. Seasonal variations in productivity and temperature are critical in influencing reproductive factors. They underscore the significance of spatial and temporal compatibility among ecosystems regarding egg hatching, which is crucial for the survival of new fish progeny. Skipjack tuna is widely processed and is a protein source for the community. The use of tuna fish can be done in traditional and modern ways. Besides being used as processed food, skipjack tuna is also used as a natural medicine that is beneficial for the health of the human body. Skipjack tuna has various pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic.