Turmeric is a widely used spice A drug derived from the curry spice turmeric may be able to help the body repair some of the damage caused in the immediate aftermath of a stroke.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles are preparing to embark on human trials after promising results in rabbits.
Their drug reached brain cells and reduced muscle and movement problems.
The Stroke Association said it was the "first significant research" suggesting that the compound could aid stroke patients.
Turmeric has been used for centuries as part of traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine, and many laboratory studies suggest one of its components, curcumin, might have various beneficial properties.
However, curcumin cannot pass the "blood brain barrier" which protects the brain from potentially toxic molecules.
The US researchers, who reported their results to a stroke conference, modified curcumin to come up with a new version, CNB-001, which could pass the blood brain barrier.
The laboratory tests on rabbits suggested it might be effective up to three hours after a stroke in humans - about the same time window available for current "clot-busting" drugsContinue reading the main story
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