Chemistry in Curry Joseph Walker

A message from our sponsors Yesterday, Chemistry students conducted an RLC experiment. We were given all the equipment to synthesise aspirin. This came from the Salicin chemical found in willow bark. We converted it to Acetyl salicylic acid - aspirin. The cool thing about RLC is that they analyze your results. I’m sure all the results will be perfect.

On to our main topic Chemistry in curry: Medical uses of our spices. Water purification with herbs. Effects of spicy food on us. As a few minor things: Currys can often help relieve colds/mild flu symptoms. This is done with an increase to the production of mucus, which in some cases can flush out the virus.

Medical application of spices Amyloid - β is one of the main causes of AD symptoms. Many trial drugs for AD target this particular peptide. Unfortunately, as these are all currently expensive to synthesise they will be expensive to make and use. As well, some of these drugs are starting to fail trials. There are so many people afflicted by this disease that a cheaper drug will be needed quickly.

Turmeric based drugs Turmeric is a spice used in many curries such as garam masala. It is a relative of ginger and gives curries a yellow colour. Turmeric contains a molecule in its root called Curcumin. This has been known to decrease inflammation and has been used to treat joint pain for thousands of years in India. Recently, scientists have been researching its antioxidant and chemotherapeutic properties that could hinder Amyloid - β.

How Curcumin works As a pleiotropic agent, it targets multiple AD causing chemicals. This is something purpose build drugs can rarely do. Curcumin specifically stops NF-KB, which inflames the body. It also stops Amyloid - β aggregating and can even break it up. In the body it is quickly hydrolysed and cannot function once it reaches the blood and brain, if at all. This is fixed by using coated fullerenes to transport it. This also allows more precise dosages.

Similar alternatives J147 is a similar chemical, developed based on Curcumin. So far it has performed well in all pre-human clinical trials. Many believe it will successfully show improvements in memory retention and has reduced amyloid plaque. Setbacks to research: Whilst many small studies are being done, the only way to get meaningful data is from large studies over a long time. The only way to pay for this is if a big drug company backs it.

Water purification One of the largest problems in the developing world is water: It is often scarce and contaminated with toxic heavy metals. Coriander has been shown to bind well to these heavy metals, and allows for easy extraction. The method by which this happens isn’t well understood yet. 2% of nickel can be removed in 45 minutes. 14.5% of Lead can be removed in 15 minutes. This may seem small, but it can make a cheap, effective difference.

How it could be used Unfortunately, large scale use may be ineffective and impractical. Smaller scale, home purification, may be better: The main idea is a “tea bag”, that you leave in water before using. The coriander could be combined with other plants that can extract chromium, arsenic and copper. The main benefits of this would be the low cost, simplicity, and effectiveness shown.

How spice affects the body The main chemical in lots of spicy foods is capsaicin. This can cause plenty of beneficial effects: Increasing metabolism. Increasing heart rate. It’s also an aphrodisiac… Many spices cause irritation inside and outside the body. This is a defence mechanism that can deter many herbivores.

Random not chemistry! There is no Indian term for curry, it is entirely British. One of the earliest English attempts at curry was so horrible it was abandoned in a jar for years. After properly fermenting, Worcester sauce was born. Tikka masala was invented in England after someone complained the curry was to spicy so the chef added a bunch of yoghurt to it. Tandoori chicken is named after the type of oven used, not the spices or sauce, tandoori chicken has no sauce.