That turmeric, a key flavour in Indian curry, has anti-cancer properties is well known. But now scientists have improved upon the condiment, making it more potent against the killer disease.

Researchers at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, have identified and synthesized two molecular analogues in curcumin - the yellowish component in turmeric that gives curry its flavour - that are up to 30 times as potent as natural curcumin.

Findings of the study were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine here Sunday.

According to lead researcher Hiroyuki Shibata, curcumin is known to suppress genes that promote cell growth as well as kill cancerous cells.

But unfortunately, adds Shibata, natural curcumin has 'low bioavailability' - that is, it quickly loses its anti-cancer attributes when ingested.

So, to enhance the therapeutic potential of curcumin, Shibata and his colleagues synthesized and tested 90 variations of the molecule's structure - and two proved to be more potent and bioavailable than natural curcumin.

Mice fed on these two molecular analogues fared up to 51 percent better than did mice in a control group.

In 2006, the researchers published structural data for the two molecules - named GO-Y030 and GO-Y031 - in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, and they continue to study the mechanisms behind the molecules' apparent potencies.

In its natural form, the curcumin molecule is composed of two ring structures linked by a chain of seven carbon atoms. The active ring structures of GO-Y030 and GO-Y031 are, however, linked by a shorter, five-carbon chain, which, Shibata says, might account for their enhanced potency.

Like curcumin, the researchers believe the new analogues have clinical potential that extends beyond colorectal cancer.

'In addition to colorectal cancer, the a catenin-degrading abilities of these molecules could apply to other forms of cancer, such as gastric cancer,' said Shibata.

Source: earthtimes.org