Cancer Chemoprevention by Spirogyra Neglecta of DEN-Induced Hepatocarcinogenesis in Rats

Liver cancer is a major chronic health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. It is the third most common cancer in males and the sixth most common cancer in females in Thailand (Attasara and Buasom, 2011). The risk factors of liver cancer include hepatitis B and C, viral infection, alcohol, and chemical carcinogens such as aflatoxin B1 (Ding and Wang, 2014). Avoiding exposure to either carcinogens or other risk factors can prevent cancer. Moreover, there are numerous reports of naturally occurring substances that inhibit cancer formation; sources of these substances include plants, animals, and microorganisms such as algae (Nobili et al., 2009; Lee et al., 2013; Muthuirulappan et al., 2013). Several studies have reported the anticarcinogenic properties of various algae. Lithothamnion calcareum,