JR also inhibited the phosphorylation of Smad2/3, Akt, ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPK, leading to suppression of EMT in HCC, as confirmed by an elevation in cadherin expression levels and decrease in expression levels of vimentin, N‐cadherin, and MMP2/9. This evidence concerns the gene MMP2 and hepatocellular carcinoma.