Home Ingredients Biobran® MGN-3 (Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound)
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Biobran® MGN-3 (Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound)

Evidence Level
Limited
8 Clinical Trials
6 Documented Benefits
2/5 Evidence Score

Biobran® MGN-3 is a rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) made by Daiwa Pharmaceutical in Japan by treating rice bran with enzymes from shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) mycelia. It is a modified fiber product, not the same as rice bran extract, wheat arabinoxylan or the shiitake extract AHCC. Most human studies are small and used product supplied by the maker. In a double-blind trial in 80 adults over 55, 500 mg a day for 3 months was followed by fewer flu-like illnesses than placebo (2 versus 9 cases), and in a 4-week trial in 39 adults with bowel symptoms more rated themselves improved than on placebo. Small trials report higher natural killer cell activity, an immune marker, while a fatigue trial at 6 g a day found no benefit. It has been studied alongside cancer treatment, but it is a dietary supplement, not a medicine, and not a treatment for cancer or any other disease.

Studied Dose 500 mg/day for 3 months (older adults, respiratory illness); 250 mg/day for 3 months (quality of life); 1 g twice daily for 4 weeks (bowel symptoms); 3 g/day for 24 weeks alongside cancer treatment (quality of life, not a cancer treatment); 2 g three times daily for 8 weeks (fatigue, no benefit).
Active Compound Rice bran arabinoxylan compound: rice bran hemicellulose partly broken down by a carbohydrase enzyme complex (including xylanase) from cultured shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mycelia, then heat-treated, sterilized and dried. Its main structure is arabinoxylan. Daiwa Pharmaceutical lists MGN-3, modified rice bran arabinoxylan and RBAC as other names and names its shiitake strain DAIWA-A95; the product has also been sold as Ribraxx (Australia), Lentin Plus (Asia) and BRM4 (United States).

Benefits

Immune support and seasonal respiratory illness in older adults

In a double-blind pilot trial in 80 healthy adults over 55 in Egypt, 500 mg a day for 3 months during the peak season was followed by influenza-like illness in 2 of 40 people versus 9 of 40 on placebo (p = 0.048). Natural killer cell activity, measured in 6 people per group, also rose more than on placebo. Cases were few, the maker supplied the product, and the result has not been repeated.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Upper respiratory symptom scores in older care-home residents

A review describes a 6-week crossover trial in 50 care-home residents aged 70 to 95 that compared the compound with a water-soluble rice bran fraction. In the 36 who finished both periods, total cold symptom scores were about three times higher on the control (p < 0.05), while the shorter symptom duration (1.2 versus 2.6 days) was not significant. It was a single small study, and the original report is not indexed in PubMed.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 2

Self-rated bowel symptom improvement over 4 weeks

In a double-blind pilot trial in 40 adults in Japan with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome or IBS with alternating diarrhea and constipation, 1 g twice daily for 4 weeks led 12 of 19 to rate themselves improved versus 6 of 20 on placebo (p = 0.0465), the primary outcome. Symptom questionnaire scores improved from baseline only on Biobran but did not differ between groups. The maker supplied product and placebo.

Supported by Trial 4, Trial 5

Self-rated quality of life in healthy older adults

In a double-blind trial in 60 healthy adults over 56 in Egypt, 250 mg a day for 3 months raised physical and mental summary scores on the SF-12 questionnaire, along with vitality, bodily pain, role-physical and social functioning scores, compared with placebo. It is a single small study from the same research group as the respiratory illness trial.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 6

Natural killer cell activity, an immune marker

In 12 healthy adults over 56, 500 mg a day for 30 days raised a lab measure of natural killer cell activity (CD107a release) compared with placebo, without changing the number of these cells. A different shiitake-fermented rice bran product, not Biobran, did not change NK activity in 80 Korean adults. The Biobran result is a small trial of a marker change, not a health outcome.

Supported by Trial 2, Trial 1

Fatigue scores did not improve more than placebo

In a double-blind trial in 71 adults with chronic fatigue syndrome in the UK, 2 g three times daily for 8 weeks did not reduce physical fatigue more than placebo (difference 0.3 points, 95% CI -2.6 to 3.2). Both groups improved over time, which the authors said shows why placebo controls matter. This was the highest daily dose tested in these trials.

Supported by Trial 5

Mechanism of action

1

Innate immune markers in human trials

In 48 people with multiple myeloma, 3 months on the compound raised NK cell activity, blood myeloid dendritic cells and Th1-type cytokines compared with placebo, and during cancer treatment interferon-gamma, IL-1RA and IL-12p40 rose compared with placebo. These are marker changes, not evidence of any effect on cancer. Whether they explain any effect on illness or well-being has not been shown.

2

A fiber that may reach the blood in small amounts

Biobran is a partly broken-down rice bran hemicellulose rather than an intact fiber. A review reports an early finding that immunoreactive polysaccharide molecules were detected in blood after oral dosing, offered as a route by which a fiber could affect immune cells. The review gives few details, and the human trials cited here did not measure it.

3

Different from other rice bran and arabinoxylan products

The enzyme step separates Biobran from stabilized rice bran and rice bran oil, studied for cholesterol, and from wheat arabinoxylan, studied as a viscous fiber for blood sugar. A Korean product made by fermenting rice bran with shiitake (rice bran exo-biopolymer) is a separate material, and its trial results do not transfer to Biobran.

Clinical trials

1
Biobran 500 mg/day and Influenza-Like Illness in Older Adults: Pilot RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial; 500 mg/day in sachets for 3 months during peak season in Egypt; product and matching placebo provided by Daiwa Pharmaceutical; the paper reports no external funding and no conflicts of interest (Elsaid et al. 2021, Nutrients)

80 healthy adults over 55 (40 men, 40 women); NK cell activity measured in 6 randomly chosen people per group.

Influenza-like illness, a stated primary outcome, occurred in 2 of 40 (5.0%) on Biobran and 9 of 40 (22.5%) on placebo (p = 0.048, Fisher's exact test); incidence density was 0.57 versus 2.95 cases per 1,000 person-days. NK cell activity rose versus placebo in the small subset. No side effects, and blood, liver and kidney tests were not adversely affected. Few events in a small trial.

2
Biobran 500 mg/day and NK Cell Activity in Older Adults: Small RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 500 mg/day for 30 days; product and placebo supplied by Daiwa Pharmaceutical; supported in part by NIH grants (Elsaid et al. 2018, Exp Ther Med)

12 healthy adults over 56 (6 Biobran, 6 placebo).

The proportion of NK cells did not change, but stimulated NK cells expressing CD107a, a lab measure of their killing activity, rose versus baseline and versus placebo (P<0.05). No side effects were observed. An immune-marker result in 12 people, not a health outcome.

3
Biobran 250 mg/day and Quality of Life in Healthy Older Adults: RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 250 mg/day for 3 months; quality of life measured with the Arabic SF-12v2 questionnaire (Elsaid et al. 2020, Qual Life Res)

60 healthy adults over 56 in Egypt (40 men, 20 women).

Compared with baseline and with placebo, Biobran raised physical and mental component summary scores and role-physical, bodily pain, vitality and social functioning scores. A single small trial from the group that ran the other Egyptian Biobran trials.

4
Biobran 2 g/day for Bowel Symptoms (IBS-D or IBS-M): Pilot RCT
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial; 1 g of Biobran powder twice daily for 4 weeks; Daiwa Pharmaceutical supplied product and placebo and assisted with submission; supported in part by a grant from the Japanese Society of Psychosomatic Medicine on Digestive Disease; authors declared no conflicts (Kamiya et al. 2014, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med)

40 adults in Nagoya, Japan, with diarrhea-predominant IBS or IBS with alternating diarrhea and constipation; 39 analyzed.

Patient global assessment, the primary outcome, was effective in 12 of 19 (63.2%) on Biobran and 6 of 20 (30%) on placebo (P = 0.0465). Diarrhea and constipation scores and CRP fell within the Biobran group, but symptom rating scale scores did not differ between groups. No adverse effects in either group.

5
BioBran MGN-3 6 g/day in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: No Benefit Over Placebo
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 2 g three times daily for 8 weeks; primary outcome Chalder physical fatigue score; University of Southampton (McDermott et al. 2006, QJM)

71 adults with chronic fatigue syndrome at a UK specialist clinic; complete data in 64.

Both groups improved markedly with no significant difference: physical fatigue improved 0.3 points less on BioBran (95% CI -2.6 to 3.2). The authors concluded the findings do not support a specific effect.

6
RBAC 3 g/day and Quality of Life During Cancer Treatment (RBAC-QoL Pilot RCT)
PubMed

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot feasibility trial (ACTRN12619000562178p); 3 g/day for 24 weeks alongside systemic treatment; funded by Daiwa Pharmaceutical and BioMedica Nutraceuticals, which the authors say had no role in design, analysis or publication; an interim report of the same trial is cited separately (Ooi et al. 2026, Sci Rep)

30 adults with stage II or higher solid tumors in New South Wales, Australia; 29 analyzed (12 RBAC, 17 placebo) and 19 completed.

Global quality of life scores differed between groups in favor of RBAC (p = 0.031), as did role and social functioning; fatigue, pain, breathlessness and appetite loss were worse on placebo. Withdrawals were 41.2% on placebo versus 8.3% on RBAC (not significant), which the authors flag as a validity concern. Context only: it does not show any effect on cancer.

7
MGN-3 Alongside Interventional Therapy in Liver Cancer: Randomized Trial
PubMed

Randomized trial of interventional therapy (chemoembolization with or without ethanol injection) with or without MGN-3, described as blinded; the abstract does not describe a placebo or the dose; at a military hospital in Hanoi (Bang et al. 2010, Anticancer Res)

68 patients with stage I or II hepatocellular carcinoma in Vietnam (38 MGN-3, 30 control).

Recurrence was 31.6% (12/38) with MGN-3 versus 46.7% (14/30) without, and second-year survival 35% versus 6.7%; the abstract gives no p-value for these comparisons. Alpha-fetoprotein and tumor volume fell from baseline only with MGN-3. Context only, not evidence that Biobran treats cancer.

8
MGN-3 and Innate Immune Markers in Multiple Myeloma: Placebo-Controlled Study
PubMed

Randomized, placebo-controlled study over 3 months at the Cancer Research Institute in Bratislava; one author (J.S.) reports research funding from Daiwa Pharmaceutical (Cholujova et al. 2013, Cancer Immunol Immunother)

48 people with multiple myeloma in Slovakia.

NK cell activity, myeloid dendritic cells and Th1-related cytokines rose with MGN-3 compared with placebo. No clinical outcomes were reported; the authors said further testing is needed to show clinical efficacy. Context only, not evidence that Biobran treats cancer.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

No side effects were observed at 500 mg a day for 3 months in 80 older adults, and blood counts, liver and kidney tests were not adversely affected.
No adverse effects occurred in either group in the 4-week bowel symptom trial (2 g a day), and no side effects were reported at 3 g a day for 6 months in adults with HIV, whose liver and kidney markers stayed almost entirely within normal limits.
In the 24-week trial during cancer treatment, no adverse events were judged related to the product; fatigue, diarrhea and nausea were the most reported events in both groups.
A 2023 pooled analysis of 5 randomized trials (239 people) found no sign of liver harm; AST was slightly lower (about 3.5 U/L) only in the subgroups using powder or taking it for 3 months or more.
Animal toxicity testing summarized in a review reported an LD50 above 36 g/kg and a no-observed-adverse-effect level of 200 mg/kg/day or more.

Important Drug interactions

No drug interactions were reported in the trials cited here, which included adults on antiretroviral therapy for 6 months and adults receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy.
Cancer treatment: it has only been tested alongside standard treatment, not instead of it. Use it during treatment only with your oncologist's knowledge.
Immune-suppressing medicines (for example after an organ transplant): no study cited here tested this combination. Because the product is studied as an immune stimulant, ask the prescriber before use.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding and children were not studied in these trials, so ask a doctor first.

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Frequently asked questions about Biobran® MGN-3 (Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound)

Is Biobran the same as rice bran extract, wheat arabinoxylan or AHCC?

No. Biobran is rice bran hemicellulose modified with shiitake enzymes by Daiwa Pharmaceutical. Stabilized rice bran and rice bran oil are studied for cholesterol, wheat arabinoxylan is a viscous fiber studied for blood sugar, and AHCC is a shiitake mycelia extract from Amino Up. A Korean shiitake-fermented rice bran product is also separate. Results from one do not transfer to the others.

Is Biobran a medicine or a treatment for any illness?

No. It is a dietary supplement ingredient, not a medicine, and it is not a treatment for cancer, infections or any other disease. It has been studied alongside cancer treatment in small trials, mainly for quality of life and immune markers. In the United States, a federal court in 2004 barred a company that had promoted MGN-3 as a cancer and HIV treatment from selling it without an approved new drug application and ordered restitution to buyers, and an appeals court upheld the restitution order in 2005.

How much Biobran was used in studies?

Trials in healthy older adults used 250 to 500 mg a day for 1 to 3 months. A bowel symptom trial used 1 g twice daily for 4 weeks, trials alongside cancer treatment or in adults with HIV used 3 g a day for up to 6 months (not as a treatment for either), and a fatigue trial used 6 g a day for 8 weeks without benefit. Follow the product label.

Who funded the Biobran research?

Daiwa Pharmaceutical supplied the product, usually with the placebo, in most trials here whose methods name a source, and funded the cancer quality of life trial with BioMedica Nutraceuticals of Australia. Daiwa Health Development, based in California, supported the HIV trial with a gift and took part in designing its protocol. The 2021 respiratory illness trial, co-authored by Mamdooh Ghoneum, declared no conflicts of interest. A 2005 US appeals court opinion in a case against Lane Labs, which sold MGN-3, named him among the paid researcher spokesmen the company used to promote its products.

Is Biobran safe?

In the trials here that reported safety, lasting up to 6 months at up to 3 g a day, no product-related side effects were reported, and a pooled analysis found no sign of liver harm. People taking immune-suppressing medicines, those in cancer treatment, and pregnant or breastfeeding women should ask a doctor first.

What is Biobran MGN-3?

Biobran® MGN-3 is a rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) made by Daiwa Pharmaceutical in Japan by treating rice bran with enzymes from shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) mycelia. It is a modified fiber product, not the same as rice bran extract, wheat arabinoxylan or the shiitake extract AHCC.

What is Biobran MGN-3 used for?

Biobran MGN-3 is researched primarily for Immune Support and Gut Health. In a double-blind pilot trial in 80 healthy adults over 55 in Egypt, 500 mg a day for 3 months during the peak season was followed by influenza-like illness in 2 of 40 people versus 9 of 40 on placebo (p = 0.048).

Does Biobran MGN-3 interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: No drug interactions were reported in the trials cited here, which included adults on antiretroviral therapy for 6 months and adults receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Cancer treatment: it has only been tested alongside standard treatment, not instead of it. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Biobran MGN-3?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Biobran MGN-3 as Limited (2 out of 5). It is backed by 8 study summaries and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(16 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Elsaid AF, Agrawal S, Agrawal A, Ghoneum M. Dietary Supplementation with Biobran/MGN-3 Increases Innate Resistance and Reduces the Incidence of Influenza-like Illnesses in Elderly Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(11):4133. doi: 10.3390/nu13114133.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind pilot trial in 80 healthy adults over 55 in Egypt: 500 mg/day for 3 months was followed by influenza-like illness in 2 of 40 on Biobran and 9 of 40 on placebo (p = 0.048). NK cell activity, measured in 6 people per group, rose versus placebo. No side effects. Daiwa supplied product and placebo; the paper reports no external funding and no conflicts of interest, and lists the senior author as funding acquirer.
  2. Elsaid AF, Shaheen M, Ghoneum M. Biobran/MGN-3, an arabinoxylan rice bran, enhances NK cell activity in geriatric subjects: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Exp Ther Med. 2018;15(3):2313-2320. doi: 10.3892/etm.2018.5713.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind trial in 12 healthy adults over 56: 500 mg/day for 30 days did not change the proportion of NK cells but raised CD107a expression on stimulated NK cells versus baseline and placebo (P<0.05), with no side effects. Daiwa supplied product and placebo; supported in part by NIH grants. An immune-marker result.
  3. Elsaid AF, Fahmi RM, Shaheen M, Ghoneum M. The enhancing effects of Biobran/MGN-3, an arabinoxylan rice bran, on healthy old adults' health-related quality of life: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Qual Life Res. 2020;29(2):357-367. doi: 10.1007/s11136-019-02286-7.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind trial in 60 healthy adults over 56: 250 mg/day for 3 months raised SF-12v2 physical and mental component summary scores and role-physical, bodily pain, vitality and social functioning scores compared with baseline and with placebo.
  4. Kamiya T, Shikano M, Tanaka M, Ozeki K, Ebi M, Katano T, Hamano S, Nishiwaki H, Tsukamoto H, Mizoshita T, Mori Y, Kubota E, Tanida S, Kataoka H, Okuda N, Joh T. Therapeutic effects of biobran, modified arabinoxylan rice bran, in improving symptoms of diarrhea predominant or mixed type irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot, randomized controlled study. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:828137. doi: 10.1155/2014/828137.PubMedUsed to support: Pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial in 40 adults with diarrhea-predominant IBS or IBS with alternating diarrhea and constipation (39 analyzed): 1 g of Biobran twice daily for 4 weeks gave an effective patient global assessment in 63.2% versus 30% on placebo (P = 0.0465). Symptom rating scale scores did not differ between groups; diarrhea and constipation scores and CRP fell within the Biobran group. No adverse effects. Daiwa supplied product and placebo and assisted with submission.
  5. McDermott C, Richards SC, Thomas PW, Montgomery J, Lewith G. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a natural killer cell stimulant (BioBran MGN-3) in chronic fatigue syndrome. QJM. 2006;99(7):461-8. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/hcl063.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial in 71 adults with chronic fatigue syndrome: 2 g three times daily for 8 weeks did not improve the primary Chalder physical fatigue score more than placebo (difference 0.3, 95% CI -2.6 to 3.2); both groups improved. The authors found no support for a specific effect.
  6. Ooi SL, Micalos PS, Zielinski R, Lacey J, Grant S, Kao S, Golombick T, Pak SC. Effects of rice bran arabinoxylan compound on quality of life of cancer patients during active treatment: a randomised placebo-controlled pilot trial. Sci Rep. 2026;16(1):11584. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-41554-8.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled feasibility trial in adults with stage II or higher solid tumors on systemic treatment (29 analyzed): 3 g/day for 24 weeks gave better global quality of life (p = 0.031) and role and social functioning than placebo, with higher interferon-gamma, IL-1RA and IL-12p40. Withdrawals were 41.2% on placebo versus 8.3% on RBAC. No intervention-related adverse events. Funded by Daiwa Pharmaceutical and BioMedica Nutraceuticals. Not evidence of any effect on cancer itself.
  7. Ooi SL, Micalos PS, Zielinski R, Pak SC. Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Quality of Life (RBAC-QoL) of Cancer Patients: An Interim Analysis of the RBAC-QoL Study. Cureus. 2024;16(1):e53188. doi: 10.7759/cureus.53188.PubMedUsed to support: Interim analysis of the same RBAC-QoL trial (16 participants with data at the time), reporting a between-group difference in global quality of life (p = 0.019). It names Daiwa Pharmaceutical and BioMedica Nutraceuticals as funders. Not a separate trial, and not evidence of any effect on cancer itself.
  8. Bang MH, Van Riep T, Thinh NT, Song le H, Dung TT, Van Truong L, Van Don L, Ky TD, Pan D, Shaheen M, Ghoneum M. Arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3) enhances the effects of interventional therapies for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a three-year randomized clinical trial. Anticancer Res. 2010;30(12):5145-51..PubMedUsed to support: Randomized trial in 68 patients with stage I or II hepatocellular carcinoma in Vietnam receiving interventional therapy with or without MGN-3: recurrence 31.6% versus 46.7% and second-year survival 35% versus 6.7%, with alpha-fetoprotein and tumor volume falling only with MGN-3. The abstract describes no placebo or dose. Cancer co-treatment context, not a supplement benefit.
  9. Cholujova D, Jakubikova J, Czako B, Martisova M, Hunakova L, Duraj J, Mistrik M, Sedlak J. MGN-3 arabinoxylan rice bran modulates innate immunity in multiple myeloma patients. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2013;62(3):437-45. doi: 10.1007/s00262-012-1344-z.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized placebo-controlled study in 48 people with multiple myeloma: 3 months of MGN-3 raised NK cell activity, myeloid dendritic cells and Th1-related cytokines versus placebo. No clinical outcome was reported, and it is not evidence that Biobran treats cancer. One author reports research funding from Daiwa Pharmaceutical.
  10. Lewis JE, Atlas Bsn SE, Abbas MH, Rasul A, Farooqi A, Lantigua LA, Michaud F, Goldberg S, Lages LC, Higuera OL, Fiallo A, Tiozzo E, Woolger JM, Ciraula S, Mendez A, Rodriguez A, Konefal J. The Novel Effects of a Hydrolyzed Polysaccharide Dietary Supplement on Immune, Hepatic, and Renal Function in Adults with HIV in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Control Trial. J Diet Suppl. 2020;17(4):429-441. doi: 10.1080/19390211.2019.1619010.PubMedUsed to support: Randomized double-blind trial in 47 adults with HIV on antiretroviral therapy: RBAC 3 g/day for 6 months caused no reported side effects and liver and kidney markers stayed almost entirely within normal limits; CD4 changes were similar to placebo, while CD8 counts fell versus a rise on placebo (p = 0.04). Product and placebo came from Daiwa Health Development, which funded the study by gift and helped design the protocol; the lead author has been paid by Daiwa Pharmaceutical to speak and write. An earlier version of this paper (PMID 30346850) was retracted; the PubMed record of the retraction notice (PMID 32220215) states no reason.
  11. Noormohammadi M, Ghorbani Z, Shahinfar H, Shidfar F. Is there any hepatic impact associated with rice bran arabinoxylan compound supplementation? A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2023;57:665-675. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2023.08.023.PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review and meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials (239 people): RBAC showed no hepatic adverse effects, and in powder form or for 3 months or more it lowered serum AST slightly (about -3.5 U/L). The authors called for further studies.
  12. Ooi SL, Pak SC, Micalos PS, Schupfer E, Lockley C, Park MH, Hwang SJ. The Health-Promoting Properties and Clinical Applications of Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Modified with Shiitake Mushroom Enzyme-A Narrative Review. Molecules. 2021;26(9):2539. doi: 10.3390/molecules26092539.PubMedUsed to support: Narrative review. Describes Biobran MGN-3 as developed by Daiwa Pharmaceutical and sold as Biobran, Ribraxx, Lentin Plus or BRM4, and the production steps (rice bran hemicellulose treated with a shiitake mycelial carbohydrase complex, then heated, sterilized and dried). Summarizes a 6-week crossover trial in 50 care-home residents aged 70 to 95 in which cold symptom scores were higher on control, and animal toxicity data (LD50 above 36 g/kg). Notes that the Korean rice bran exo-biopolymer is a separate RBAC. One author founded and directs Erom, which markets that Korean product.
  13. Ooi SL, McMullen D, Golombick T, Nut D, Pak SC. Evidence-Based Review of BioBran/MGN-3 Arabinoxylan Compound as a Complementary Therapy for Conventional Cancer Treatment. Integr Cancer Ther. 2018;17(2):165-178. doi: 10.1177/1534735417735379.PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review of MGN-3 in cancer: of 11 clinical studies, 5 were nonrandomized pre-post studies and 6 randomized trials, most small and short; most other evidence was from cell and animal work. The authors favored further well-designed trials. Context only: these studies do not make Biobran a cancer treatment.
  14. Choi JY, Paik DJ, Kwon DY, Park Y. Dietary supplementation with rice bran fermented with Lentinus edodes increases interferon-γ activity without causing adverse effects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. Nutr J. 2014;13:35. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-13-35.PubMedUsed to support: Tested rice bran exo-biopolymer (RBEP), a different shiitake-fermented rice bran product, not Biobran. In 80 healthy Korean adults, 3 g/day for 8 weeks raised interferon-gamma versus placebo (P = 0.012) but did not change NK cell activity or other cytokines. Cited to show that results for this product do not transfer to Biobran.
  15. United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. United States v. Lane Labs-USA Inc. and Andrew J. Lane, No. 04-3592 (precedential opinion) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (court opinion). 2005;Opinion filed October 21, 2005; accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Court opinion, not PubMed-indexed, read in 2026. Describes MGN-3 as a dietary fiber made by hydrolyzing rice bran with an enzymatic extract of shiitake, sold by Lane Labs. The opinion states that the company specifically promoted the products to treat diseases, that callers were referred to a sales agent who promoted them as cancer and HIV treatments, and that the company used paid researcher spokesmen, such as Dr. Lane and Mamdooh Ghoneum, Ph.D, to promote the products. On the government's complaint that these were unapproved new drugs, the district court (July 12, 2004) granted summary judgment, barred further sales until a new drug application was approved and ordered restitution to buyers; the appeals court affirmed the restitution order.
  16. Daiwa Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. BioBran product page Daiwa Pharmaceutical (manufacturer website). 2026;Manufacturer web page, accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Manufacturer page, not PubMed-indexed, read in 2026. Describes BioBran as a rice bran-derived health food ingredient made by enzymatic modification of rice bran with enzymes from shiitake (Lentinula edodes, strain DAIWA-A95), lists MGN-3, modified rice bran arabinoxylan and RBAC as other names, and says it is sold in more than 50 countries. It gives no dose and is a product description, not health evidence.