(Phys.org) -- The popular spice turmeric packs more than just
flavor it shows promise in fighting devastating viruses, Mason
researchers recently discovered. Curcumin, found in turmeric,
stopped the potentially deadly Rift Valley Fever virus from
multiplying in infected cells, says Aarthi Narayanan, lead
investigator on the new study and a research assistant professor
with Mason's National Center for Biodefense and Infectious
Diseases. Mosquito-borne Rift Valley Fever virus (RVF) is an
acute, fever-causing virus that affects domestic animals such as
cattle, sheep and goats, as well as humans. The research appears
this month in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. "Growing up
in India, I was given turmeric all the time," says Narayanan,
who has spent the past 18 months working on the project. "Every
time my son has a throat infection, I give (turmeric) to him."
There's more work to do before curcumin-based pharmaceuticals
become commonplace, Narayanan emphasizes. She plans to test 10
different versions of curc