Drug & supplement interaction

Jiaogulan + Alefacept

Alefacept brand name: Amevive.

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

Jiaogulan has a moderate interaction with Alefacept. Theoretically, jiaogulan might decrease the effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy.

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

Jiaogulan and Alefacept

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Alefacept

Alefacept falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Jiaogulan interacts with.

Theoretically, jiaogulan might decrease the effectiveness of immunosuppressive therapy.
Clinical and animal studies suggest that jiaogulan can stimulate the immune system.
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 thing to keep in mind with Alefacept (Amevive). It works by quieting down part of your immune system, specifically the overactive T-cells that drive plaque psoriasis. Jiaogulan seems to do the opposite. Lab and animal research hints that its plant compounds may rev the immune system up a bit.

So in theory, taking jiaogulan alongside Alefacept could push against what the medication is trying to accomplish, possibly making it work less well and letting psoriasis flare. I want to be honest though: this is a theoretical concern based on how these things behave, not from real-world cases in people taking them together. Alefacept is not a prodrug, so this isn't about how it's broken down. Before adding jiaogulan, just run it by your doctor or pharmacist.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
  2. Li Y, Lin W, Huang J, Xie Y, Ma W. Anti-cancer effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino (Jiaogulan). Chin Med. 2016 Sep 27;11:43. Review. 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

Jiaogulan Also Interacts With Other Medications

Jiaogulan has 326 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Alefacept one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 326 No known interaction 2,504 (incl. Alefacept)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Jiaogulan

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Alefacept

This page covers Jiaogulan only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Alefacept page lists 53 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Active Hexose Correlated Compound (ahcc) (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate), American Ginseng (moderate), Andrographis (moderate) and Ashwagandha (moderate).

By severity: 52 moderate · 1 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Alefacept page

“Alefacept (Amevive) treats moderate to severe plaque psoriasis by deliberately quieting part of the immune system, and that mechanism explains nearly everything on this page. All 53 supplement interactions on file involve ingredients believed to stimulate immunity, familiar ones like echinacea, astragalus, and ashwagandha among them, w…”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Alefacept interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 452 real supplement products containing Jiaogulan, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Jiaogulan. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Alefacept too, on top of Jiaogulan — 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 Jiaogulan and Alefacept 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 Jiaogulan
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Alefacept
Steady interest

#2,073 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 Jiaogulan

What is Jiaogulan?

Jiaogulan
  • Fatigue and stress (adaptogen)
  • Blood sugar support
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Immune and general wellness

Jiaogulan is a climbing vine used in traditional Chinese medicine as an adaptogen and for heart, blood sugar, and cholesterol support. Early human and animal studies are promising for some uses like metabolism and blood pressure, but the overall evidence is still limited. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.

Read the full Jiaogulan monograph & all interactions
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Jiaogulan

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

0Major
326Moderate
0Minor
2,503No known interaction
326 Moderate 2,503 No interaction
Moderate

326 interactions

Showing 60 of 326 moderate interactions — see all 326 on the Jiaogulan page.

No interaction 2,503 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,503 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Jiaogulan list.

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

Can you take Jiaogulan with Alefacept?
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 Jiaogulan and Alefacept 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 Alefacept and Jiaogulan?

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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.