Colon cancer is a serious illness where cells in the large intestine grow wildly and form tumors. It is one of the most common cancers worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation, in 2022, nearly 1.9 million new cases and about 900,000 deaths happened due to colon cancer. Now, the scientists at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) have made an exciting discovery. They found a natural chemical from long pepper (also known as pippali, thippili, or maghaun) called Piperlongumine that attacks colon cancer cells! “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,” said one NIT Rourkela researcher. In a big team effort, NIT Rourkela led experiments in different labs to test Piperlongumine as a new option instead of chemotherapy. Their tests showed something amazing: Piperlongumine kills colon cancer cells but leaves healthy cells alone. The team did many tests, including MTT assay to check cancer cell survival, and found great success. They also proved the cancer cells were dying through other checks like looking at signs of cell death, nuclear damage, and problems in mitochondria (the cell's powerhouses). How does Piperlongumine work? It raises something called oxidative stress inside cancer cells—a kind of pressure the cancer cells can't handle, so they self-destruct. Good cells don’t get harmed because they can handle this stress. The lead researcher said, “Since long pepper is an inexpensive, easily cultivated plant already eaten by many people in India, using Piperlongumine offers a low-cost and green treatment, especially useful for poor and middle-income countries where cancer treatment is too expensive.” The findings were published in the journal BioFactors. Prof. Bijesh Kumar Biswal, Associate Professor at the institute, co-authored the paper and said, “This discovery opens new possibilities for treating advanced and chemo-resistant colorectal cancer, where current treatment options are limited.” This discovery may soon light the way for cheaper, safer colon cancer treatment sparked by a simple spice already found in many kitchens!