Drug & supplement interaction

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound + Gemcitabine

Gemcitabine brand name: Gemzar.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 13, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

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Interaction report

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Gemcitabine and Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound safety at a glance

Rice Bran Arabinox... overall Use caution Generally well tolerated in short-term studies, but long-term safety and quality data are limited.
Pregnancy Avoid Not enough safety information; avoid during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding Avoid No reliable safety data; avoid while breastfeeding.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Gemcitabine and Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
How we checked

Why No Interaction Is Listed for Gemcitabine

Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes, not just single drug names. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications — antineoplastics, hepatotoxic drugs. Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound has documented interactions with 1 drug class — the most serious being immunosuppressants (moderate) — and none of Gemcitabine’s classifications are among them.

Classification data comes from our licensed Natural Medicines dataset. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded there, so this describes how the check was run — it is not a safety guarantee.

Keep it in perspective

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound Does Interact With Other Medications

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound has 121 moderate known drug interactions in our database — Gemcitabine isn’t one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 121 No known interaction 2,709 (incl. Gemcitabine)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound. Pick one to open its full report.

What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine May Share a Side Effect

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • Nausea reported in 4.9% of FDA reports for Gemcitabine Additional detail

    Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound

    “Orally, rice bran arabinoxylan compound seems to be well tolerated. Side effects reported in clinical trials are typically mild and may include nausea and irritable bowel symptoms.”

    Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    2 sources cited
    1. 98688. Salama H, Medhat E, Shaheen M, Zekri AN, Darwish T, Ghoneum M. Arabinoxylan rice bran (Biobran) suppresses the viremia level in patients with chronic HCV infection: A randomized trial. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2016;29(4):647-653. PubMed
    2. 98693. McDermott C, Richards SC, Thomas PW, Montgomery J, Lewith G. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a natural killer cell stimulant (BioBran MGN-3) in chronic fatigue syndrome. QJM. 2006;99(7):461-8. PubMed

    “Orally, rice bran arabinoxylan compound has been reported to cause one case of mild nausea and one case of irritable bowel symptoms in a clinical trial.”

    Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 98693. McDermott C, Richards SC, Thomas PW, Montgomery J, Lewith G. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a natural killer cell stimulant (BioBran MGN-3) in chronic fatigue syndrome. QJM. 2006;99(7):461-8. PubMed

    Gemcitabine

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Gemcitabine, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Gemcitabine come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 53,020 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Gemcitabine that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Gemcitabine

This page covers Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Gemcitabine page lists 39 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Beer (major), Siberian Cocklebur (major), Wine (major), Ashwagandha (moderate) and Black Cohosh (moderate).

By severity: 3 major · 35 moderate · 1 minor.

Open the Gemcitabine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine 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 Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound
Steady interest

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

29 days ago today
Medication Gemcitabine
Steady interest

#2,228 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.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 13, 2026. The Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound

What is Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound?

  • Immune support
  • Support during cancer treatment
  • Boosting natural killer (NK) cell activity
  • General wellness in older adults
  • Fatigue and quality of life support

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound (often sold under brand names like MGN-3 or BioBran) is a processed fiber from rice bran treated with mushroom enzymes, marketed mainly as an immune booster. Early small studies suggest it may affect certain immune cells, but high-quality human evidence is very limited, and it should never replace standard medical care. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before using it, especially during cancer treatment.

Poaceae · Rice bran (outer layer of Oryza sativa), modified with enzymes from shiitake mushroom · Capsules, tablets, powder, granules

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound record says about it on its own.

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound. Amounts used in studies have varied, and products differ in strength and form.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and not exceed the recommended amount.

From our Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Gemcitabine Injection

What Is Gemcitabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Gemzar

Gemcitabine Injection (available as Avgemsi, Gemcitabine, and Infugem) is used to treat several types of cancer. It is given in combination with carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that has returned at least 6 months after platinum-based treatment, and in combination with paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer after prior chemotherapy with an anthracycline (a specific class of chemo drug).

It is also given in combination with cisplatin for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that cannot be removed surgically or has spread. For pancreatic cancer that is locally advanced or has spread, it is used as a single agent — including in patients who have already been treated with fluorouracil.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Gemcitabine

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (53,020 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Disease progression 4,850 reports
Thrombocytopenia 3,706 reports
Neutropenia 3,295 reports
Anemia 3,084 reports
Malignant neoplasm progression 2,912 reports
See full Gemcitabine Injection drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound

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

0Major
121Moderate
0Minor
2,708No known interaction
121 Moderate 2,708 No interaction
Moderate

121 interactions

Showing 60 of 121 moderate interactions — see all 121 on the Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound page.

No interaction 2,708 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,708 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound list.

See the full Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound interactions page
See every supplement checked against Gemcitabine, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound References

The 13 references that drive our Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Ghoneum M, Namatalia G, Kim C. Effect of MGN-3 on human natural killer cell activity and interferon-y synthesis in vitro. FASEB 1996;10:26-32.
  2. Ghoneum M, Jewett A. Synergistic effect of modified arabinoxylane (MGN-3) and low dose of recombinant IL-2 on human NK cell activity and TNF-a production. American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, Education Conference 1998.
  3. Salama H, Medhat E, Shaheen M, Zekri AN, Darwish T, Ghoneum M. Arabinoxylan rice bran (Biobran) suppresses the viremia level in patients with chronic HCV infection: A randomized trial. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2016;29(4):647-653. PubMed
  4. Ghoneum M, Agrawal S. Mgn-3/biobran enhances generation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells via upregulation of dec-205 expression on dendritic cells. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2014;27(4):523-30. PubMed
  5. Cholujova D, Jakubikova J, Czako B, et al. MGN-3 arabinoxylan rice bran modulates innate immunity in multiple myeloma patients. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2013;62(3):437-45. PubMed
  6. Ghoneum M, Agrawal S. Activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells in vitro by the biological response modifier arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3/Biobran). Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011;24(4):941-8.
  7. Bang MH, Van Riep T, Thinh NT, et al. Arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3) enhances the effects of interventional therapies for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a three-year randomized clinical trial. Anticancer Res. 2010;30(12):5145-51.
  8. McDermott C, Richards SC, Thomas PW, Montgomery J, Lewith G. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized controlled trial of a natural killer cell stimulant (BioBran MGN-3) in chronic fatigue syndrome. QJM. 2006;99(7):461-8. PubMed
  9. Ghoneum M, Matsuura M. Augmentation of macrophage phagocytosis by modified arabinoxylan rice bran (MGN-3/biobran). Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2004;17(3):283-92. PubMed
  10. Ghoneum M, Jewett A. Production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma from human peripheral blood lymphocytes by MGN-3, a modified arabinoxylan from rice bran, and its synergy with interleukin-2 in vitro. Cancer Detect Prev. 2000;24(4):314-2
  11. Elsaid AF, Fahmi RM, Shaheen M, Ghoneum M. The enhancing effects of Biobran/MGN-3, an arabinoxylan rice bran, on healthy old adults' health-related quality of life: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Qual Life Res. 2020 Feb;29( PubMed
  12. Lewis JE, Atlas Bsn SE, Abbas MH, et al. The novel effects of a hydrolyzed polysaccharide dietary supplement on immune, hepatic, and renal function in adults with HIV in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control trial. J Diet Suppl. 2020;17(4):429-441. PubMed
  13. Lewis JE, Atlas SE, Abbas MH, et al. Cardiovascular, endothelial function, and immune markers in response to treatment with a polysaccharide in HIV + adults in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Transl Res. 2020 Apr 13;5(3):140-14 DOI

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound with Gemcitabine?
We do not list a known interaction between Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to one of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
How was the Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Gemcitabine combination checked?
Interactions in our licensed database are recorded against drug classes. Gemcitabine is filed under 2 classifications, and Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound has documented interactions with 1 drug class — none of Gemcitabine's classifications are among them. A medication can belong to classes beyond those recorded in our dataset, so this describes how the check was run rather than guaranteeing safety.
Does Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound interact with any other medications?
Yes. Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound has 121 documented drug interactions in our database — Gemcitabine is simply not one of them. If you take anything else, it is worth checking each one; they are all listed on this page.
Does Gemcitabine interact with any supplements?
Yes. Gemcitabine has documented interactions with 39 supplements in our database — Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound is not one of them. The Gemcitabine interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

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

Where next

Keep Exploring

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Gemcitabine Injection drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Gemcitabine supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Gemcitabine, 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 References The 13 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

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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.