Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in the world and one of the most lethal. MGN-3/Biobran (also known as Lentin Plus 1000) is a natural product derived from rice bran hemicelluloses and has been reported to possess a potent anticancer effect in a clinical study of patients with HCC.

The current study examines the mechanisms by which Biobran protects against chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis in rats. The chemical carcinogen used in this study is N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) plus carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Rats were treated with this carcinogen, and the animals were pretreated or posttreated with Biobran via intraperitoneal injections until the end of the experiment.

Treatment with Biobran resulted in: 1) significant alleviation of liver preneoplastic lesions towards normal hepatocellular architecture in association with inhibition of collagen fiber deposition; 2) arrest of cancer cells in the sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle; 3) increased DNA fragmentation in cancer cells; 4) down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 and up-regulated expression of p53, Bax, and caspase-3; and 5) protection against carcinogen-induced suppression of IkappaB-alpha (IκB-α) mRNA expression and inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB/p65) expression. Additionally, the effect of Biobran treatment was found to be more significant when supplemented prior to carcinogen-induced hepatocarcinogenesis as compared to posttreatment.

We conclude that Biobran inhibits hepatocarcinogenesis in rats by mechanisms that include induction of apoptosis, inhibition of inflammation, and suppression of cancer cell proliferation. Biobran may be a promising chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent for liver carcinogenesis