Drug & supplement interaction

Jequirity + Thiotepa

Thiotepa brand names: Thioplex, Tepadina.

Minor Interaction
The bottom line Minor

Jequirity has a minor interaction with Thiotepa. In vitro research shows that jequirity extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes.

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

Jequirity and Thiotepa

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

Minor

CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Thiotepa

Thiotepa falls under CYTOCHROME P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) SUBSTRATES — the group Jequirity interacts with.

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 potent poison that is in the same family as ricin. There is no safe supplement form of this plant, so I wouldn't put it anywhere near your body, with or without chemo. That safety point matters far more than the interaction itself.

On the lab side, jequirity extract has been shown in test-tube studies to block CYP3A4, one of the liver enzymes that helps process thiotepa. Thiotepa is the active drug (not a prodrug that needs switching on), so slowing this enzyme could theoretically let more of it build up, which might mean more nausea, low blood counts, or other side effects. This is only a weak, theoretical concern from lab data, but please leave jequirity out entirely and let your oncologist or pharmacist guide your treatment.

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 208 moderate, 602 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Thiotepa one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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 Thiotepa

This page covers Jequirity only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Thiotepa page lists 146 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Grapefruit (major), St. John's Wort (major), Acacia Rigidula (moderate) and Acerola (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 102 moderate · 41 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Thiotepa page

“Thiotepa (Thioplex, Tepadina) is chemotherapy, given for several cancers and to prepare patients for stem cell transplant, so its 146 supplement interactions make up a list to respect rather than skim. Three carry a major rating: grapefruit, St.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Thiotepa interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Jequirity and Thiotepa 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

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

29 days ago today
Medication Thiotepa
Top half

#1,267 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 Thiotepa Injection

What Is Thiotepa Injection Used For?

Brand names: Thioplex, Tepadina

Tepadina (thiotepa) injection is used for several purposes. It treats adenocarcinoma (a type of cancer) of the breast or ovary. It is also used to control malignant effusions — abnormal fluid buildup in body cavities caused by cancer spreading to those areas. For bladder cancer, Tepadina treats superficial papillary carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Tepadina is also used in pediatric patients with class 3 beta-thalassemia (a severe inherited blood disorder). In those patients, it is given as part of a preparative regimen — a conditioning treatment to reduce the risk of graft rejection before an allogeneic stem cell transplant (a transplant using donor stem cells), alongside the chemotherapy drugs busulfan and cyclophosphamide.

See full Thiotepa Injection 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
208Moderate
602Minor
2,019No known interaction
Moderate

208 interactions

Showing 60 of 208 moderate interactions — see all 208 on the Jequirity page.

Minor

602 interactions

Showing 60 of 602 minor interactions — see all 602 on the Jequirity page.

No interaction 2,019 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

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Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Jequirity and Thiotepa Together: Common Questions

Can you take Jequirity with Thiotepa?
There is only a minor interaction, which is usually not serious. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Jequirity and Thiotepa interaction?
We rate it Minor. This interaction is generally not clinically significant, but it remains worth noting and discussing with your pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Thiotepa 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.