Drug & supplement interaction

Banaba + Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel brand names: Taxol, Abraxane.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Banaba has a moderate interaction with Paclitaxel. Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba with substrates of OATP might reduce the bioavailability of the OATP substrate.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Banaba and Paclitaxel

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP)

Why this applies to Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel falls under ORGANIC ANION-TRANSPORTING POLYPEPTIDE SUBSTRATES (OATP) — the group Banaba interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use of banaba with substrates of OATP might reduce the bioavailability of the OATP substrate.
In vitro research shows that banaba inhibits OATP, particularly OATP2B1. OATPs are expressed in the small intestine and liver and are responsible for the absorption of drugs and other compounds.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist for banaba and paclitaxel. Banaba may block a transporter called OATP that helps move certain drugs into the body. In theory, if banaba dampens that transporter, your body might absorb a little less of an OATP-dependent drug, which could mean a weaker effect. Paclitaxel is the active drug itself (not a prodrug), so less drug getting in could, in principle, mean less anticancer punch.

I want to be straight with you though: this comes only from lab (test tube) research, not from people, so we honestly don't know if it matters in real life. With a chemotherapy this important, I would not risk any guesswork. Please run banaba by your oncology team before using it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Fuchikami H, Satoh H, Tsujimoto M, Ohdo S, Ohtani H, Sawada Y. Effects of herbal extracts on the function of human organic anion-transporting polypeptide OATP-B. Drug Metab Dispos 2006;34:577-82. PubMed

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Banaba Also Interacts With Other Medications

Banaba has 298 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Paclitaxel one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 298 No known interaction 2,532 (incl. Paclitaxel)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Banaba

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Banaba. Pick one to open its full report.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Paclitaxel

This page covers Banaba only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Paclitaxel page lists 152 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Apple (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Sweet Orange (major).

By severity: 5 major · 108 moderate · 39 minor.

Open the Paclitaxel interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Banaba as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 573 real supplement products containing Banaba, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Banaba. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Paclitaxel too, on top of Banaba — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Banaba and Paclitaxel Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Banaba
Top 25%

#251 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Paclitaxel
Top half

#1,055 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Banaba

What is Banaba?

Banaba
  • Blood sugar support
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Weight management
  • High blood pressure
  • Cholesterol support

Banaba is a leaf extract most often used to help support healthy blood sugar, and small early studies suggest its active compound corosolic acid may modestly lower glucose. The overall evidence is limited and short-term, so it should not replace prescribed diabetes care. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor before trying it, especially if you take blood sugar medicine.

Read the full Banaba monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection

What Is Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection Used For?

Brand names: Taxol, Abraxane

Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound) is used to treat three types of cancer. It treats metastatic breast cancer in patients whose prior chemotherapy has stopped working or who relapsed within 6 months of completing adjuvant (post-surgery) chemotherapy. It is also used as a first-line treatment for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) — given together with carboplatin — in patients who cannot have surgery or radiation therapy.

Additionally, it is approved as a first-line treatment for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, given in combination with gemcitabine. All three uses apply specifically to Paclitaxel Protein-Bound Particles for Injectable Suspension (Albumin-Bound), including the brands Abraxane and related albumin-bound formulations.

See full Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Banaba

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Banaba — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
298Moderate
0Minor
2,531No known interaction
298 Moderate 2,531 No interaction
Moderate

298 interactions

Showing 60 of 298 moderate interactions — see all 298 on the Banaba page.

No interaction 2,531 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Banaba against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,531 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Banaba list.

See the full Banaba interactions page
See every supplement checked against Paclitaxel, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Banaba monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Paclitaxel supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Paclitaxel, ranked by severity Paclitaxel (with albumin) Injection drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Banaba and Paclitaxel Together: Common Questions

Can you take Banaba with Paclitaxel?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Banaba and Paclitaxel interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Paclitaxel and Banaba?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.