The common kitchen spice could help when fighting off ‘catastrophe’ as the next generation of diseases evolve
Before antibiotics, infectious diseases were among the world’s biggest killers. But since the creation of lifesaving medications, humans have managed to fight sickness and increase the average lifespan by decades.
However, they’re far from a permanent solution. In recent years, many diseases have become immune to healing effects, putting human lives at risk if something is not done quickly to stop these bugs from infecting people.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, sometimes referred to as superbugs, have become more common across the globe as these viruses adapt to the advancements of modern medicine. They are becoming hard to treat, which has forced experts to act , according to a 2024 study.
Vanderlei Bagnato, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and senior author on the study, said: “When bacteria start becoming resistant to conventional antibiotics, we have what we call an antibiotic catastrophe. To overcome this challenge, we need alternative ways to either kill the superbugs or find a novel way to modify natural processes within the bacteria so that antibiotics start to act again.”
Photodynamic inactivation is a promising method of killing off this kind of medicine-resistant bacteria. This process involves using light and light-sensitive molecules to produce a type of oxygen that can kill microorganisms.
They exposed the bacteria to many cycles of light exposure and then compared the minimum concentration of antibiotics needed to kill the bacteria after light exposure versus those that did not get light exposure. The researchers in Texas discovered that one simple spice could be crucial to killing off these mutated virus strains that threaten humanity.
The team noted that curcumin had “tremendous potential”. They said it could be an effective additive to antibiotics for diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as pneumonia.
Turmeric is a plant whose roots are harvested to create the spice commonly used in cooking and herbal beverages. The vibrant yellow hue of turmeric comes from curcumin, a natural compound found in the roots, which belongs to the carotenoid family.
Curcumin is widely recognised for its powerful antioxidant properties. Turmeric can be purchased in Aldi for as little as 69p for a small pot. This works out at 17p per 10g portion.
Dr Vladislav Yakovlev, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, added: “The result reinforces the potential of photodynamic inactivation (PDI) as a valuable adjuvant therapy, offering a promising avenue for mitigating bacterial resistance and promoting more effective treatment strategies against resistant infections.”
Turmeric’s active component, curcumin, can help boost the immune system by reducing inflammation, fighting infections, and enhancing antibody responses. Several studies have proven the cheap spice could bolster our ability to fight off disease.
Turmeric may help with arthritis, allergies, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. Further research has also suggested that curcumin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects may protect against some of the factors involved in heart disease, such as helping balance cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
