The PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 and the TGF-β/Smad inhibitor SB431542 were used to confirm that the suppressive effect of isoviolanthin on EMT in HCC cells involves regulation of the TGF-β/Smad and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathways, as evidenced by the downregulation of N-cadherin and Snail and the upregulation of E-cadherin compared to TGF-β1; these results were consistent with those obtained with isoviolanthin. Here, AKT1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.