# Potential Natural Blend Hydrosol TGLON Suppresses the Proliferation of Five Cancer Cell Lines and Also Ameliorates Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis in a Mouse Model

**Authors:** Wei-Hsiang Huang, Mei-Lin Chang, Ching-Che Lin, Chih-Peng Wang, Feng-Jie Tsai, Chih-Chien Lin

PMC · DOI: 10.3390/ph18060872 · Pharmaceuticals · 2025-06-11

## TL;DR

A natural hydrosol blend called TGLON safely inhibits cancer cell growth and reduces lung fibrosis in mice.

## Contribution

TGLON shows selective anticancer and anti-fibrotic effects without toxicity to normal cells.

## Key findings

- TGLON inhibited proliferation of five cancer cell lines with minimal impact on normal cells.
- TGLON reduced bleomycin-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice.
- No toxicity was observed in rats administered TGLON at high doses.

## Abstract

Background: Cancer and fibrotic diseases represent major global health challenges, underscoring the need for safe, multifunctional natural therapies. Although natural products possess notable anticancer properties, their clinical translation is often hindered by non-selective cytotoxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, their therapeutic potential against chronic conditions such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a natural hydrosol blend, The Greatest Love of Nature (TGLON), in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and mitigating IPF. Methods: TGLON, composed of 12 steam-distilled plant hydrosols, was chemically characterized by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Its cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay against five human cancer cell lines (A-549, HepG2, MCF-7, MKN-45, and MOLT-4) and normal human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5). In vivo safety and therapeutic efficacy were evaluated in Sprague Dawley rats and a bleomycin-induced IPF mouse model, following protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). Results: TGLON maintained >90% viability in MRC-5 cells at an 80-fold dilution and significantly inhibited the proliferation of A-549 (41%), HepG2 (84%), MCF-7 (50%), MKN-45 (38%), and MOLT-4 (52%) cells. No signs of toxicity were observed in rats administered TGLON orally at 50% (v/v), 10 mL/kg. In mice, TGLON alleviated bleomycin-induced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis. Conclusions: TGLON exhibited selective anticancer and anti-fibrotic activities under non-toxic conditions, supporting its potential as a bioactive agent for early-stage disease prevention and non-clinical health maintenance.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** cancer (MONDO:0004992), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (MONDO:0800029)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (taxon 9606), Mus musculus (taxon 10090), Rattus norvegicus (taxon 10116)

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** pulmonary inflammation (MESH:D011014), fibrotic diseases (MESH:D004194), IPF (MESH:D054990), Cancer (MESH:D009369), cytotoxicity (MESH:D064420), fibrosis (MESH:D005355)
- **Chemicals:** bleomycin (MESH:D001761), MTT (MESH:C070243), Hydrosol (-)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090], Rattus norvegicus (brown rat, species) [taxon 10116]
- **Cell lines:** HepG2 — Homo sapiens (Human), Hepatoblastoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0027), MOLT-4 — Homo sapiens (Human), Adult T acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0013), A-549 — Homo sapiens (Human), Lung adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0023), MCF-7 — Homo sapiens (Human), Invasive breast carcinoma of no special type, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0031), MKN-45 — Homo sapiens (Human), Gastric adenocarcinoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0434), MRC-5 — Homo sapiens (Human), Finite cell line (CVCL_0440)

## Full text

_Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12196324/full.md

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12196324/full.md

## References

59 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12196324/full.md

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12196324