Drug & supplement interaction

Maqui + Insulin Glulisine (rDNA)

Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) brand name: Apidra.

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

Maqui has a minor interaction with Insulin Glulisine (rDNA). Theoretically, maqui fruit extract may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when used with antidiabetes drugs.

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

Maqui and Insulin Glulisine (rDNA)

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

Minor

ANTIDIABETES DRUGS

Why this applies to Insulin Glulisine (rDNA)

Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) falls under ANTIDIABETES DRUGS — the group Maqui interacts with.

Theoretically, maqui fruit extract may increase the risk of hypoglycemia when used with antidiabetes drugs.
Animal research shows that maqui berry reduces fasting blood glucose. However, maqui berry extract taken orally, either as a single dose or daily for 3 months, does not decrease fasting blood glucose in prediabetic patients. It is unknown whether it might reduce blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes.
Severity Minor 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 basic idea with Apidra (insulin glulisine): it's a fast-acting insulin that directly lowers your blood sugar after meals. Maqui berry, in theory, may also nudge blood sugar downward thanks to its plant pigments. If both pull in the same direction, you could end up lower than intended, which is what we call hypoglycemia.

Honestly though, I'd keep this in perspective. The evidence here is thin. In prediabetic people, maqui supplements didn't actually drop fasting blood sugar, and we don't have good data in folks who use insulin. Eating maqui as a food almost certainly won't matter. If you're using a concentrated supplement, just watch for shakiness, sweating, or dizziness, and check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Alvarado JL, Leschot A, Olivera-Nappa Á, et al. Delphinidin-rich maqui berry extract (Delphinol®) lowers fasting and postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in prediabetic individuals during oral glucose tolerance tests. Biomed Res Int. 2016;2016:9070537. PubMed
  2. Alvarado J, Schoenlau F, Leschot A, Salgad AM, Vigil Portales P. Delphinol® standardized maqui berry extract significantly lowers blood glucose and improves blood lipid profile in prediabetic individuals in three-month clinical trial. Panminerva Med. 2016
  3. Hidalgo J, Flores C, Hidalgo MA, et al. Delphinol® standardized maqui berry extract reduces postprandial blood glucose increase in individuals with impaired glucose regulation by novel mechanism of sodium glucose cotransporter inhibition. Panminerva Med.

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

Maqui Also Interacts With Other Medications

Maqui has 85 minor known drug interactions in our database — the Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Minor 85 No known interaction 2,745 (incl. Insulin Glulisine (rDNA))
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Maqui

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

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Insulin Glulisine (rDNA)

This page covers Maqui only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) page lists 239 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Siberian Cocklebur (major), Acai (moderate), African Wild Potato (moderate), Agaricus Mushroom (moderate) and Agmatine (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 208 moderate · 30 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) page

“Apidra (insulin glulisine) is a rapid mealtime insulin, and this list calls for real vigilance. All 239 ingredients on file affect blood sugar, most of the 208 moderate entries by adding their own glucose lowering to the insulin's and raising the chance of a serious low.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) interaction page

One more smart check

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

We hold 388 real supplement products containing Maqui, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Maqui. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) too, on top of Maqui — 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 Maqui and Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) 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 Maqui
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Insulin Glulisine (rDNA)
Steady interest

#2,267 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 Maqui

What is Maqui?

  • Antioxidant support
  • Blood sugar support
  • Eye health and dry eye
  • Anti-inflammatory support
  • Heart health

Maqui is a dark purple berry from Chile that is very rich in antioxidant plant pigments called anthocyanins. Early research suggests it may help with things like blood sugar, dry eye, and inflammation, but the human evidence is still limited and far from proven. It is generally well tolerated as a food, but talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using concentrated supplements.

Read the full Maqui monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Insulin Glulisine (rDNA origin) Injection

What Is Insulin Glulisine (rDNA origin) Injection Used For?

Brand name: Apidra

Apidra and Apidra SoloStar are used to improve glycemic control (blood sugar management) in adult and pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus. This includes both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Because insulin glulisine works very quickly, it is typically used around mealtimes to control the rise in blood sugar that happens after eating. It is generally used alongside a longer-acting insulin as part of a complete diabetes regimen.

See full Insulin Glulisine (rDNA origin) Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Maqui

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

0Major
0Moderate
85Minor
2,744No known interaction
85 Minor 2,744 No interaction
Minor

85 interactions

Showing 60 of 85 minor interactions — see all 85 on the Maqui page.

No interaction 2,744 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,744 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Maqui list.

See the full Maqui interactions page
See every supplement checked against Insulin Glulisine (rDNA), 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
Maqui monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Insulin Glulisine (rDNA), ranked by severity Insulin Glulisine (rDNA origin) 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 Maqui and Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) Together: Common Questions

Can you take Maqui with Insulin Glulisine (rDNA)?
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 Maqui and Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) 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 Insulin Glulisine (rDNA) and Maqui?

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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.