New study points to turmeric's possible role in fighting drug-resistant TB

A new research paper from the University of Colorado, Denver, indicated that curcumin - a substance in turmeric might help fight drug-resistant tuberculosis.

Turmeric is widely used in Indian food and is considered to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and even anticancer properties.

According to the university's research team, by stimulating human immune cells called macrophages, curcumin was able to successfully eliminate Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which caused TB, from experimentally infected cells in culture.

''The process relied on inhibiting the activation of a cellular molecule called nuclear factor-kappa B,'' the university said in a press release.

''The ability of curcumin to modulate the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis points to a potential new tuberculosis treatment that would be less  prone to the development of drug resistance,'' it said.

"Our study has provided basic evidence that curcumin protects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in human cells," said lead author Dr Xiyuan Bai about his study. However, he added, "The protective role of curcumin to fight drug-resistant tuberculosis still needs confirmation, but if validated, curcumin may become a novel treatment to modulate the host immune response to overcome drug-resistant tuberculosis."

The journal Respirology has published the study.