Drug & supplement interaction

Danshen + Belinostat

Belinostat brand name: Beleodaq.

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

Belinostat falls into 2 drug categories that Danshen can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Danshen might alter the levels of drugs cleared by p-glycoprotein.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceB
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Danshen and Belinostat

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Belinostat

Belinostat falls under P-GLYCOPROTEIN SUBSTRATES — the group Danshen interacts with.

Danshen might alter the levels of drugs cleared by p-glycoprotein.
Pharmacokinetic research in healthy volunteers suggests that danshen might affect p-glycoprotein activity. Taking danshen extract 1 gram three times daily for 10 days prior to receiving fexofenadine 60 mg increases peak levels of fexofenadine, a p-glycoprotein substrate, by 27.4% and area under the curve (AUC) by 37.2%.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

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 Beleodaq (belinostat). Your body uses a kind of cellular bouncer called p-glycoprotein to help move certain drugs out of cells. Danshen may slow that bouncer down a bit. In one small study, danshen raised blood levels of another p-glycoprotein drug by roughly a third. If the same thing happened with belinostat, more of it could linger in your body, which may mean stronger side effects like nausea, tiredness, low blood counts, or infection risk.

This is a possible, moderate concern based on lower-quality evidence, not a sure thing, and it was studied with concentrated danshen supplements. Still, since belinostat is a chemo drug, please loop in your oncology team or pharmacist before adding danshen.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Qiu F, Zeng J, Liu S, He M, Zhu L, Ye Y, Miao P, Shen S, Jiang J. Effects of danshen ethanol extract on the pharmacokinetics of fexofenadine in healthy volunteers. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:473213. PubMed
Moderate

GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS

2 of 2

Belinostat also falls under GLUCURONIDATED DRUGS.

Theoretically, danshen might affect the levels and clinical effects of drugs requiring glucuronidation.
In vitro research shows that danshen induces the expression of glucuronosyltransferases. However, it also inhibits the activity of glucuronosyltransferases, including various members of the 1A and 2B families. The extent of inhibition of a specific glucuronosyltransferase seems to be dependent on whether or not the danshen is processed via 'sweating'. This type of processing may affect the levels of constituents in danshen that alter glucuronosyltransferase activity. So far, this interaction has not been reported in humans.
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 situation with Belinostat (Beleodaq) and Danshen. Your body clears belinostat partly through a process called glucuronidation, where liver enzymes (UGTs) tag the drug so it can be flushed out. Lab studies suggest Danshen can tug on these same enzymes in both directions: it may speed them up in some cases and slow them down in others, depending on how the root was prepared. Because the effect is unpredictable, Danshen could in theory shift how much belinostat stays in your system.

If those enzymes get blocked, belinostat could build up, raising the risk of side effects like nausea, low blood counts, fatigue, or liver irritation. I want to stress that this is theoretical, based only on test-tube work and never seen in real patients. Still, since belinostat is a serious chemotherapy drug, please clear any Danshen with your oncologist or pharmacist first.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Liu J, Shi Y, Wu C, et al. Comparison of sweated and non-sweated ethanol extracts of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge. (Danshen) effects on human and rat hepatic UDP-glucuronosyltransferase and preclinic herb-drug interaction potential evaluation. Curr Drug Metab

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

Danshen Also Interacts With Other Medications

Danshen has 123 major, 935 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Belinostat one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 123 Moderate 935 No known interaction 1,772 (incl. Belinostat)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Danshen

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Belinostat

This page covers Danshen only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Belinostat page lists 83 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 4 major · 73 moderate · 6 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Belinostat page

“Belinostat (Beleodaq) is chemotherapy for peripheral T-cell lymphoma, and the 83 supplement interactions on record for it deserve real scrutiny, not a skim. Four rate major, and they cluster around two dangers.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Belinostat interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 18 real supplement products containing Danshen, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Danshen. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Belinostat too, on top of Danshen — 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 Danshen and Belinostat 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 Danshen
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Belinostat
Top half

#904 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 Danshen

What is Danshen?

Danshen
  • Heart and circulation support
  • Angina (chest pain)
  • High blood pressure
  • Anxiety and stress
  • Liver health

Danshen is a root used in traditional Chinese medicine, mainly for heart and circulation problems. Some early research is promising, but the evidence is not strong enough to confirm it works for any condition, and it may affect blood clotting. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially if you take other medicines or have a health condition.

Read the full Danshen monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Belinostat Injection

What Is Belinostat Injection Used For?

Brand name: Beleodaq

Beleodaq (belinostat) injection is approved to treat adult patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) — a fast-growing type of lymphoma (blood cancer) that either came back after treatment or never fully responded to it.

This approval is based on how well the cancer responded to the drug, including how long those responses lasted. Whether Beleodaq extends overall survival or improves disease-related symptoms has not yet been established. Continued approval may depend on results from a confirmatory trial.

See full Belinostat Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Danshen

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

123Major
935Moderate
0Minor
1,771No known interaction
123 Major 935 Moderate 1,771 No interaction
Major

123 interactions

Showing 60 of 123 major interactions — see all 123 on the Danshen page.

Moderate

935 interactions

Showing 60 of 935 moderate interactions — see all 935 on the Danshen page.

No interaction 1,771 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 1,771 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Danshen list.

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

Can you take Danshen with Belinostat?
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 Danshen and Belinostat?
Belinostat belongs to more than one drug category, and Danshen 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 Danshen and Belinostat 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 Belinostat and Danshen?

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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.