Drug & supplement interaction

Ceylon Leadwort + Trabectedin

Trabectedin brand name: Yondelis.

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

Ceylon Leadwort has a moderate interaction with Trabectedin. Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in vitro.

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

Ceylon Leadwort and Trabectedin

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

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Trabectedin

Trabectedin falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Ceylon Leadwort interacts with.

Plumbagin, a constituent of Ceylon leadwort, has been shown to inhibit cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) in vitro. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans. Theoretically, Ceylon leadwort might increase the levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4. Some drugs metabolized by CYP3A4 include lovastatin (Mevacor), clarithromycin (Biaxin), indinavir (Crixivan), sildenafil (Viagra), triazolam (Halcion), and numerous 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 connection worth knowing about. Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP3A4 to break down and clear trabectedin (Yondelis). A compound in Ceylon Leadwort called plumbagin has slowed that same enzyme down in lab tests. If it does the same thing in your body, trabectedin could leave your system more slowly and build up to higher levels than your oncology team planned for.

With a chemotherapy drug like this, higher levels can mean worse side effects, things like low blood counts, liver strain, severe fatigue, and nausea. That said, this is based only on test-tube research and hasn't been seen in real patients. Still, with cancer treatment I'd play it safe. Please don't add this supplement without first clearing it with your oncologist or pharmacist.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Chen A, Zhou X, Tang S, Liu M, Wang X. Evaluation of the inhibition potential of plumbagin against cytochrome P450 using LC-MS/MS and cocktail approach. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 22;6:28482. 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

Ceylon Leadwort Also Interacts With Other Medications

Ceylon Leadwort has 1,096 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Trabectedin one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 1,096 No known interaction 1,734 (incl. Trabectedin)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Ceylon Leadwort

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Trabectedin

This page covers Ceylon Leadwort only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Trabectedin page lists 156 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Grapefruit (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), St. John's Wort (major) and Wine (major).

By severity: 5 major · 122 moderate · 29 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Trabectedin page

“People receiving trabectedin (Yondelis), an infused chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcoma and some ovarian cancers, often reach for supplements to boost energy or support a stressed liver, and that instinct is exactly where the trouble sits. This list warrants real caution.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Trabectedin interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 96 real supplement products containing Ceylon Leadwort, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Ceylon Leadwort. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Trabectedin too, on top of Ceylon Leadwort — 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 Ceylon Leadwort and Trabectedin 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 Ceylon Leadwort
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Trabectedin
Steady interest

#2,081 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 Ceylon Leadwort

What is Ceylon Leadwort?

  • Digestive complaints and poor appetite
  • Skin conditions and wounds (applied to the skin)
  • Joint pain and swelling
  • Traditional 'metabolism-boosting' tonics
  • Antimicrobial folk remedy

Ceylon Leadwort (Plumbago zeylanica) is a plant long used in Ayurvedic and other traditional medicine systems, mainly for digestion, skin problems, and pain. Solid human studies are lacking, and the plant contains plumbagin, a compound that can irritate skin and tissues and may be unsafe in larger amounts. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid it in pregnancy.

Read the full Ceylon Leadwort monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Trabectedin Injection

What Is Trabectedin Injection Used For?

Brand name: Yondelis

Yondelis (trabectedin injection) is used to treat adults with liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma — two types of soft tissue sarcoma (cancer of connective tissue) — when the cancer cannot be removed by surgery (unresectable) or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic). It is indicated for patients who have already received a prior treatment regimen containing an anthracycline (a type of chemotherapy).

See full Trabectedin Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Ceylon Leadwort

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

0Major
1,096Moderate
0Minor
1,733No known interaction
1,096 Moderate 1,733 No interaction
Moderate

1,096 interactions

Showing 60 of 1,096 moderate interactions — see all 1,096 on the Ceylon Leadwort page.

No interaction 1,733 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,733 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Ceylon Leadwort list.

See the full Ceylon Leadwort interactions page
See every supplement checked against Trabectedin, 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
Ceylon Leadwort monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Trabectedin supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Trabectedin, ranked by severity Trabectedin 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 Ceylon Leadwort and Trabectedin Together: Common Questions

Can you take Ceylon Leadwort with Trabectedin?
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 Ceylon Leadwort and Trabectedin 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 Trabectedin and Ceylon Leadwort?

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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.