Drug & supplement interaction

Breadfruit + Ticagrelor

Ticagrelor brand name: Brilinta.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Ticagrelor falls into 2 drug categories that Breadfruit can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, concomitant use with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Breadfruit and Ticagrelor

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Breadfruit interacts with whole categories of medication. Ticagrelor falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Breadfruit in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Ticagrelor

Ticagrelor falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS — the group Breadfruit interacts with.

Theoretically, concomitant use with anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs might increase the risk of bleeding. In vitro research shows that certain flavonoid constituents from breadfruit root extract can inhibit thromboxane formation and reduce platelet aggregation.
Some of these drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
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: Brilinta (ticagrelor) already works by keeping your platelets from clumping together, which is exactly how it protects your heart and brain after a heart attack, stent, or stroke. Lab studies hint that certain flavonoid compounds in breadfruit may do something similar, gently nudging platelets to stick less. Stack the two and, in theory, you could tip a little further toward easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or bleeding that's slow to stop.

I want to be honest about the evidence here: this is theoretical, based only on test-tube work with breadfruit root extract, not real people. Eating breadfruit as a food almost certainly isn't a concern. Concentrated leaf or root teas and extracts are where I'd be more cautious. Since ticagrelor is a serious medication, run any breadfruit supplement past your pharmacist or doctor first.

References
  1. Weng JR, Chan SC, Lu YH, et al. Antiplatelet prenylflavonoids from Artocarpus communis. Phytochemistry 2006;67(8):824-829. PubMed
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

Ticagrelor also falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES.

Theoretically, breadfruit might inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) and increase levels of drugs metabolized by these enzymes; until more is known, use with caution. In vitro, the breadfruit constituent artocarpin can inhibit CYP3A4 enzymes. Also, animal research shows that breadfruit leaf extract can weakly inhibit CYP3A4 enzymes. However, it is unclear if this inhibitory activity causes a clinically meaningful effect on the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Some drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 include amitriptyline (Elavil), amiodarone (Cordarone), citalopram (Celexa), felodipine (Plendil), lansoprazole (Prevacid), ondansetron (Zofran), prednisone (Deltasone), sertraline (Zoloft), and many others.
Severity Minor 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 Brilinta (ticagrelor): your body relies on a liver enzyme called CYP3A4 to break it down. Breadfruit, mainly its leaf extracts, has shown a weak ability to slow that same enzyme in lab and animal studies. In theory, slowing it down could let ticagrelor build up a bit, and since this is a blood thinner, more drug means a higher chance of bruising or bleeding (think nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or bleeding that's slow to stop).

The good news: this is only a minor, theoretical concern based on test-tube and animal research, not real patient cases. Eating breadfruit as food is very unlikely to matter. Concentrated leaf teas or extracts are the bigger question mark, so check with your pharmacist or doctor before using those alongside Brilinta.

References
  1. Nwokocha CR, Owu DU, McLaren M, et al. Possible mechanisms of action of the aqueous extract of Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit) leaves in producing hypotension in normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats. Pharm Biol. 2012;50(9):1096-102.
  2. Qu W, Liu X. Identification of cytochrome P450 isoforms involved in the metabolism of artocarpin and assessment of its drug-drug interaction. Biomed Chromatogr. 2018;32(4). 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

Breadfruit Also Interacts With Other Medications

Breadfruit has 437 moderate, 504 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Ticagrelor one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Breadfruit

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

From our Q&A

Questions About Breadfruit or Ticagrelor

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Breadfruit or Ticagrelor, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Ticagrelor

This page covers Breadfruit only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Ticagrelor page lists 286 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 5 major · 241 moderate · 40 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Ticagrelor page

“Grapefruit sits at the top of this list for good reason. Ticagrelor (Brilinta) is cleared by the CYP3A4 enzyme, and grapefruit blocks that enzyme, so drug levels can climb and bleeding becomes more likely.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Ticagrelor interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Breadfruit and Ticagrelor 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 Breadfruit
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Ticagrelor
Top half

#1,218 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 Breadfruit

What is Breadfruit?

  • Source of nutrition and energy
  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes and blood sugar support
  • Inflammation and joint discomfort
  • Skin conditions

Breadfruit is a starchy tropical fruit eaten as a staple food, and its leaves are used in traditional medicine for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. As a food it is nutritious and generally safe, but the medicinal use of leaf teas or extracts has very little human research to back it up. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using breadfruit products for a health condition.

Read the full Breadfruit monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Ticagrelor

What Is Ticagrelor Used For?

Brand name: Brilinta

Ticagrelor tablets are used to lower the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack (myocardial infarction), and stroke in adults who have had acute coronary syndrome (ACS) — a group of conditions including unstable angina and heart attack — or who have a history of heart attack. It also reduces the risk of stent thrombosis (a blood clot forming in a coronary stent) in people who have been stented for ACS treatment.

Ticagrelor tablets are also used in people with coronary artery disease (CAD) who are at high risk for a first heart attack or stroke, particularly those with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, Brilinta is approved to reduce the risk of stroke in adults with a mild acute ischemic stroke or a high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA, or "mini-stroke").

See full Ticagrelor drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Breadfruit

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

0Major
437Moderate
504Minor
1,888No known interaction
Moderate

437 interactions

Showing 60 of 437 moderate interactions — see all 437 on the Breadfruit page.

Minor

504 interactions

Showing 60 of 504 minor interactions — see all 504 on the Breadfruit page.

No interaction 1,888 drugs checked — show the list
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
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Breadfruit and Ticagrelor Together: Common Questions

Can you take Breadfruit with Ticagrelor?
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.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Breadfruit and Ticagrelor?
Ticagrelor belongs to more than one drug category, and Breadfruit interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Breadfruit and Ticagrelor 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 Ticagrelor and Breadfruit?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.