Molecular Analogues of Curry Better Fight Colorectal Cancer

Curcumin has long been known for its anti-cancer properties.

Curcumin is the yellowish component of turmeric that gives curry its flavor.

I am not a fan of dishes that use curry. However, if cooked just right I may actually like it. My mother’s version of chicken curry (not too pungent but not bland either) is one of my favorites.

Now, Japanese researchers reported that two molecular analogues of curcumin demonstrate even greater tumor suppressive properties.

The team presented their findings from the first test of these molecules in a mouse model of colorectal cancer November 5 at the American Association for Cancer Research Centennial Conference on Translational Cancer Medicine.

According to Tohoku University researcher Hiroyuki Shibata, M.D., curcumin is one of the most widely studied plant-based chemicals with anti-cancer properties.

Research has associated curcumin with several distinct actions, including the suppression of genes that promote cell growth (for example, the destruction of the pro-cancerous protein alpha-catenin), and induction of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in colorectal cancer.

Unfortunately, natural curcumin has what researchers term “low bioavailability” — the molecule quickly loses its anti-cancer attributes when ingested, Shibata says. With the aim of improving the therapeutic potential of curcumin, Shibata and his colleagues synthesized and tested 90 variations of the molecule’s structure.

The two molecular analogues of curcumin: GO-Y030 and GO-Y031, proved to be more potent and bioavailable, than natural curcumin.

So, I guess we should put more curry in cooking. That pungy aroma is actually too spicy for colorectal cancer.

Find more details from the American Association for Cancer Research.

[In Photo:Fresh turmeric roots. Curcumin, the yellowish component of turmeric that gives curry its flavor, has long been noted for its potential anti-cancer properties. (Credit: iStockphoto/Kelly Cline)]