New Delhi- Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, have identified a natural compound found in long pepper as an effective and cost-efficient agent against colon cancer cells, according to officials.

Colon cancer is a disease in which the cells grow uncontrollably in the large intestine of the body, forming tumours.

The research conducted in collaboration with the University of North Carolina, USA and Central University of South Bihar has been published in the prestigious journal“BioFactors”.

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer globally. According to the World Health Organisation's report, in 2022, nearly 1.9 million new cases and almost 900,000 deaths due to colon cancer were reported.

According to Bijesh Kumar Biswal, Associate Professor, Department of Life Science, NIT Rourkela, conventional treatments such as chemotherapy are painful and have long-lasting side effects, including hair loss, fatigue, nerve damage, and weakened immunity. In addition to this, another complication in the cancer treatment process is the development of resistance in cancerous cells to chemotherapy agents.

“Various international cancer research studies have examined natural molecules' activity towards a variety of cancers, but their impact on colorectal cancer has not been thoroughly explored. Our team conducted a set of laboratory experiments to show the activity of Piperlongumine, a natural compound, as an alternative to chemotherapy,” Biswal said.

“The research team found it to be selectively killing colon cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. We checked the viability of colon cancer cells after treatment with piperlongumine through MTT assay and reported significant cancer cell death,” he said.

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