Dissolution of water-insoluble curcumin at a high concentration (>100 mu M) is achieved by femtosecond-laser ablation in an aqueous solution containing cyclodextrin compounds at room temperature. The curcumin solution is freeze-dried to yield an orange powder, which is also highly soluble in water (ca. 1 mM). The dissolved curcumin compound has cytotoxic activity toward lung cancer cells.