Washington, August 10 : An international team of researchers has found that a derivative of a common culinary spice found in Indian curries could offer a new treatment hope for sufferers of the painful condition tendinitis.

The researchers at The University of Nottingham and Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich have suggested that curcumin, which also gives the spice turmeric its trademark bright yellow colouring, can be used to suppress biological mechanisms that spark inflammation in tendon diseases.

Dr Ali Mobasheri of the University's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, who co-led the research, said: "Our research is not suggesting that curry, turmeric or curcumin are cures for inflammatory conditions such as tendinitis and arthritis.

"However, we believe that it could offer scientists an important new lead in the treatment of these painful conditions through nutrition. Further research into curcumin, and chemically-modified versions of it, should be the subject of future investigations and complementary therapies aimed at reducing the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the only drugs currently available for the treatment of tendinitis and various forms of arthritis," added Mobasheri.

The research will be published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. (ANI)