The resulting networks predicted the inhibition of HCC at both 12 and 24 h after safranal treatments through inducing DNA damage response (e.g. p21/CDKN1A) and interrupting DNA repair (e.g. MGMT), in addition to inhibiting proliferation, survival, and invasion (e.g. MET, TERT, MMP2, MMP9). Here, MMP9 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.