Common spices may protect bacteria during irradiation

5/10/2000-According to a report in Science Daily, researchers in India say that some common spices - red chili powder, black pepper, and turmeric - can actually prevent bacteria such as E. coli from being destroyed by irradiation. On the plus side, however, the researchers believe their findings indicate that spice extracts could be used to protect healthy tissue in people undergoing radiation therapy. The research, conducted at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai, India, is reported in the current print issue (April 17) of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed monthly publication of the American Chemical Society. The researchers evaluated the spices against two microorganisms during the study: Escherichia coli and Bacillus megaterium.