Washington, Apr 20 : Michigan scientists have unravelled the mystery behind the much hyped healing power of the main ingredient in turmeric, a spice revered in India as `holy powder.'

Turmeric has been used for centuries in folk medicine to treat wounds, infections, and other health problems.

While many scientists have conducted research on its main ingredient-curcumin-no details had been revealed as to how it functions in the body, until now.

In the new study, Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy and colleagues, used a high-tech instrument termed solid-state NMR spectroscopy and discovered that molecules of curcumin act like a biochemical disciplinarian.

The molecules insert themselves into cell membranes and make the membranes more stable and orderly.

This increases cells'' resistance to infection by disease-causing microbes.

The study appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, a weekly publication. (ANI)