DiscussionThis is the first study showing a preventive effect of GBR fermented by L. acidophilus on colorectal carcinogenesis in rats. In this study, we used ACF as a morphological marker and both SIM-ACF and MDF as dysplastic markers during colorectal carcinogenesis, as mentioned by a previous study [26]. We also measured the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the colonic expressions of apoptosis-related proteins to investigate the associated anti-cancer mechanism. The results showed that FGBR inhibited preneoplastic lesions (ACF and SIM-ACF), reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) and regulated apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3). These findings suggest the potential of this novel fermented rice product for CRC chemoprevention.