An extract found in the bright yellow curry¹ spice turmeric can kill off cancer cells, scientists have shown.

科学家展示，从嫩黄咖喱粉提取的一种物质可杀死癌细胞。

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The yellow spice gives curries their bright colour

The chemical - curcumin（姜黄素） - has long been thought to have healing powers and is already being tested as a treatment for arthritis³（关节炎） and even dementia（痴呆）.

Now tests by a team at the Cork⁴ Cancer Research Centre show it can destroy gullet（食道，咽喉） cancer cells in the lab.

Cancer experts said the findings in the British Journal of Cancer could help doctors find new treatments.

Dr Sharon McKenna and her team found that curcumin started to kill cancer cells within 24 hours.

'Natural' remedy

The cells also began to digest themselves, after the curcumin triggered lethal⁵（致命的） cell death signals.

Dr McKenna said: "Scientists have known for a long time that natural compounds have the potential to treat faulty cells that have become cancerous and we suspected that curcumin might have therapeutic⁶（治疗的） value."

Dr Lesley Walker, director of cancer information at Cancer Research UK, said: "This is interesting research which opens up the possibility that natural chemicals found in turmeric（姜黄粉，沉金根） could be developed into new treatments for oesophageal cancer（食道癌）.

"Rates of oesophageal cancer rates have gone up by more than a half since the 70s and this is thought to be linked to rising rates of obesity⁷（肥胖）, alcohol intake⁸ and reflux disease（胃食管反流病） so finding ways to prevent this disease is important too."

Each year around 7,800 people are diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in the UK. It is the sixth most common cause of cancer death and accounts for around five percent of all UK cancer deaths.