Drug & supplement interaction

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound + Nelarabine

Nelarabine brand name: Atriance.

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

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound has a moderate interaction with Nelarabine. Theoretically, rice bran arabinoxylan compound might interfere with immunosuppressants by stimulating the immune system.

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

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Nelarabine

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

Moderate

IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS

Why this applies to Nelarabine

Nelarabine falls under IMMUNOSUPPRESSANTS — the group Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound interacts with.

Theoretically, rice bran arabinoxylan compound might interfere with immunosuppressants by stimulating the immune system. In laboratory and human research, rice bran arabinoxylan compound has been shown to stimulate the activity of immune cells.
Some immunosuppressants include azathioprine (Imuran), basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), daclizumab (Zenapax), muromonab-CD3 (OKT3, Orthoclone OKT3), mycophenolate (CellCept), tacrolimus (FK506, Prograf), sirolimus (Rapamune), prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone), corticosteroids (glucocorticoids), 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

Here's the idea behind this pairing. Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound is marketed to rev up the immune system, and in lab and small human studies it does seem to nudge certain immune cells into action. Nelarabine, on the other hand, is a powerful chemotherapy drug used for leukemia and lymphoma that work by attacking and quieting fast-growing immune-type cells. So in theory, taking something that pushes the immune system one way while a cancer drug is working the other way could pull against your treatment.

I want to be honest with you: this is a theoretical concern based on how each works, not proven harm. But because nelarabine is a serious chemo medication, please don't add this supplement on your own. Run it by your oncologist or pharmacist first so your cancer care isn't disrupted.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  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. 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
  8. 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

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

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound Also Interacts With Other Medications

Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound has 120 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Nelarabine one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 120 No known interaction 2,710 (incl. Nelarabine)
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.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Nelarabine

This page covers Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Nelarabine page lists 130 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: 1,4-butanediol (major), Beer (major), Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (ghb) (major), Kava (major) and L-tryptophan (major).

By severity: 6 major · 118 moderate · 6 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Nelarabine page

“Nelarabine (Atriance) is chemotherapy for a rare T-cell leukemia and lymphoma, and its most feared side effect is damage to the nervous system, from heavy drowsiness up to seizures. Most of the 130 supplement and herbal ingredients on this list press on exactly that weak point.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Nelarabine interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Nelarabine 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
Top half

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

29 days ago today
Medication Nelarabine
Top half

#767 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 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.

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

About Nelarabine Injection

What Is Nelarabine Injection Used For?

Brand name: Atriance

Nelarabine injection (brand name Arranon) is used to treat two aggressive blood cancers: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL). It is approved for adult and pediatric patients age 1 year and older whose disease has not responded to — or has come back after — at least two prior chemotherapy regimens.

Nelarabine injection may also be given in combination with multi-agent chemotherapy as part of treatment for newly diagnosed T-ALL and T-LBL in certain settings, as studied in clinical trials.

See full Nelarabine 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
120Moderate
0Minor
2,709No known interaction
120 Moderate 2,709 No interaction
Moderate

120 interactions

Showing 60 of 120 moderate interactions — see all 120 on the Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound page.

No interaction 2,709 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 2,709 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 Nelarabine, 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
Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Nelarabine supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Nelarabine, ranked by severity Nelarabine 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 Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Nelarabine Together: Common Questions

Can you take Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound with Nelarabine?
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 Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound and Nelarabine 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 Nelarabine and Rice Bran Arabinoxylan Compound?

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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.