August 24/Ramazan, Pakistan/Pakistan Observer -- A new study has found that saffron, a commonly used spice that add flavor and color to foods, provides a significant chemo-preventive effect against liver cancer in animal models. When saffron was administered to rats with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), induced liver cancer, an inhibition of cell proliferation and stimulation of apoptosis was observed.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, is the fifth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer mortality in the world. Prior studies have shown that saffron, a naturally derived plant product, possesses antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties.