Curcumin, which is found in the spice turmeric, has been linked to a range of health benefits.
Studies have already shown that it can beat cancer cells
grown in a laboratory and benefits have been suggested in stroke and
dementia patients as well.
Now a trial at hospitals in Leicester will investigating giving curcumin alongside chemotherapy drugs.
About 40,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year.
If the disease spreads around the body, patients are normally
given a combination of three chemotherapy drugs, but about half will
not respond.
Forty patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester
General Hospital will take part in the trial, which will compare the
effects of giving curcumin pills seven days before starting standard
chemotherapy treatment.
'Difficult to treat'
Prof William Steward, who is leading the study, said animal
tests combining the two were "100 times better" than either on their own
and that had been the "major justification for cracking on" with the
trial.
He said: "Once bowel cancer has spread it is very difficult
to treat, partly because the side effects of chemotherapy can limit how
long patients can have treatment.
"The prospect that curcumin might increase the sensitivity of
cancer cells to chemotherapy is exciting because it could mean giving
lower doses, so patients have fewer side effects and can keep having
treatment for longer.
"This research is at a very early stage, but investigating
the potential of plant chemicals to treat cancer is an intriguing area
that we hope could provide clues to developing new drugs in the future."
Joanna Reynolds, from Cancer Research UK, said: "By doing a
clinical trial like this, we will find out more about the potential
benefits of taking large amounts of curcumin, as well as any possible
side effects this could have for cancer patients."
Source: BBC News