Drug made from turmeric may help to treat strokes

A compound found in the commonly-used curry spice may help to repair some of the damage caused by a stroke.

A DRUG DERIVED from the spice turmeric may be able to assist the body in repairing some of the damage caused by a stroke, according to new research.

Human trials will begin soon following the results of research conducted on rabbits by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, the BBC reports. The team’s research showed that the drug succeeded in reducing muscle and movement problems.

Turmeric has been a part of a traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine for many centuries, and researchers are hopeful that one of it components – curcumin – may help stroke patients in the future. While curcumin is unable to pass the “blood brain barrier”, a defence against toxins reaching the brain’s cells, scientists hope that a modified version of the component named CNB-001 might be able to do so, the Press Association reports.

The laboratory test indicated that the drug might be effective up to three hours after a person suffers a stroke.

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