Researchers at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) have identified a natural compound in long pepper (pippali/thippili/maghaun) as an effective, cost-efficient agent against colon cancer cells.
Colon cancer is a disease in which cells grow uncontrollably in the large intestine, forming tumours. It is one of the most common types of cancer globally. According to the World Health Organisation, in 2022 nearly 1.9 million new cases and almost 9,00,000 deaths due to colon cancer were reported worldwide.
“Various international cancer research studies have examined natural molecules against a variety of cancers, but their impact on colorectal cancer has not been thoroughly explored,” an NIT Rourkela researcher said.
NIT Rourkela led a multi-institutional study and conducted a set of laboratory experiments to show the activity of Piperlongumine, a natural compound, as an alternative to chemotherapy. The research team found that it selectively kills colon cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
“The team checked the viability of colon cancer cells after treatment with piperlongumine through MTT assay and reported significant cancer cell death. They validated these results of cell death using multiple assays, including apoptotic induction, nuclear damage, and mitochondrial dysfunction,” he said in a statement.
They reported that Piperlongumine increases oxidative stress inside colon cancer cells that they cannot handle, causing them to self-destruct. Normal cells, however, are not affected because they can easily manage this stress.
“Since long pepper is an inexpensive, easily cultivated plant that already exists in the diet of a large portion of the Indian population, the formulation of piperlongumine offers a low-cost, green therapeutic alternative, especially beneficial for low and middle-income countries due to the exorbitant costs of cancer treatment,” he said.
The findings of this research have been published in the journal BioFactors, in a paper co-authored by Prof. Bijesh Kumar Biswal, Associate Professor, Department of Life Science, at the institute.
“This discovery opens new possibilities for treating advanced and chemo-resistant colorectal cancer, where current treatment options are limited,” Biswal said.
Published on November 25, 2025