Drug & supplement interaction

Jequirity + Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone brand name: Actos.

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

Pioglitazone falls into 2 drug categories that Jequirity can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Evidence from animal research suggests that an extract of jequirity can reduce blood glucose levels.

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

Jequirity and Pioglitazone

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

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

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

Moderate

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

1 of 2

Why this applies to Pioglitazone

Pioglitazone falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Jequirity interacts with.

Evidence from animal research suggests that an extract of jequirity can reduce blood glucose levels. Theoretically, jequirity might have additive effects with antidiabetes drugs and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Monitor blood glucose levels closely. Dose adjustments might be necessary. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), 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

First things first: jequirity is genuinely dangerous and isn't something you should be taking at all. Its seeds contain abrin, a poison related to ricin, so this isn't a safe supplement to combine with anything. Please steer clear of it entirely.

That said, here's the interaction on file. In animal studies, jequirity extract appeared to lower blood sugar. Since pioglitazone (Actos) already works to bring your blood sugar down by making your body more sensitive to insulin, stacking the two could push your sugar too low. That might leave you feeling shaky, sweaty, dizzy, or confused. This is only a theoretical concern based on lab and animal data, not real patient cases. Still, the bigger issue here is jequirity's toxicity, so talk with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Nwanjo HU. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius Linn seeds in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. J Herbs Spice Med Plants 2008;14(1-2):68-76.
Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

2 of 2

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

In vitro research shows that jequirity extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes. Theoretically, taking jequirity may inhibit the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Severity Minor Likelihood Unlikely Evidence D

Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans..

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

First things first: jequirity seeds contain abrin, a poison closely related to ricin, so this plant should never be used as a supplement in the first place. That safety concern outweighs anything about pioglitazone. But here's the interaction on file. Your body partly clears pioglitazone using a liver enzyme called CYP3A4. In a lab dish, jequirity extract slowed that enzyme down. In theory, that could let a bit more pioglitazone linger in your system, nudging up its usual effects like low blood sugar, fluid retention, or swelling in the legs.

That said, this is only a test-tube finding and rated unlikely and minor, so I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The real takeaway is to avoid jequirity entirely and check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Ai C, Miao X, Wang L, He J. Discovery and Activity Evaluation of the Inhibitory Effect of Four Kinds Traditional Chinese Medicine Extracts on the CYP3A4 Enzyme. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2022.

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

Jequirity Also Interacts With Other Medications

Jequirity has 207 moderate, 603 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Pioglitazone one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 207 Minor 603 No known interaction 2,020 (incl. Pioglitazone)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Jequirity

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Pioglitazone

This page covers Jequirity only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Pioglitazone page lists 356 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

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

By severity: 6 major · 309 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Pioglitazone page

“Most of what appears on this pioglitazone (Actos) list shares one trait: the ingredients lower blood sugar on their own, which sounds helpful until you remember pioglitazone already does that job for people with type 2 diabetes. Stacked together, they can push glucose too low, and I would read this list with genuine care.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Pioglitazone interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Jequirity and Pioglitazone 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 Jequirity
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Pioglitazone
Steady interest

#1,701 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 Jequirity

What is Jequirity?

Jequirity
  • Asthma and cough
  • Fever
  • Sore throat and bronchitis
  • Liver complaints (hepatitis)
  • Constipation
  • Traditional infectious-disease remedies

Jequirity (Abrus precatorius) is a tropical plant whose bright red, black-tipped seeds contain abrin, one of the most toxic plant proteins known. Despite a long history in traditional medicine, the seeds are dangerously poisonous and there is no reliable evidence that it is safe or effective. It should not be used as a supplement or medicine.

Read the full Jequirity monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Pioglitazone

What Is Pioglitazone Used For?

Brand name: Actos

Pioglitazone tablets — sold as Actos and under the generic names Pioglitazone and Pioglitazone Hydrochloride — are used to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. They are taken along with diet and exercise, either alone or combined with other diabetes medicines such as a sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin.

Pioglitazone is not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious complication where the blood becomes too acidic). It only works when the body is still producing some of its own insulin.

See full Pioglitazone drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Jequirity

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

0Major
207Moderate
603Minor
2,019No known interaction
207 Moderate 603 Minor 2,019 No interaction
Moderate

207 interactions

Showing 60 of 207 moderate interactions — see all 207 on the Jequirity page.

Minor

603 interactions

Showing 60 of 603 minor interactions — see all 603 on the Jequirity page.

No interaction 2,019 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,019 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Jequirity list.

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

Can you take Jequirity with Pioglitazone?
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 Jequirity and Pioglitazone?
Pioglitazone belongs to more than one drug category, and Jequirity 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 Jequirity and Pioglitazone 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 Pioglitazone and Jequirity?

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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.