Jequirity Drug Interactions, Uses, Safety & More
What is this page for?
First and foremost: how Jequirity interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Jequirity is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.
But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Jequirity is, what people use it for and how strong the evidence is, its safety and side effects, and answers to the questions we’re asked most — written and reviewed by the clinical staff at HelloPharmacist. It’s educational information from our licensed clinical databases, not medical advice, and we don’t sell or endorse products. Our editorial policy
Check Jequirity against your medication
Add one medicationJequirity Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line
From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated August 2026Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Jequirity drug interaction appears low for most people. None of Jequirity's listed interactions are rated major, roughly three quarters are minor, and none have been confirmed in human studies.
The concerns most worth knowing about involve anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs such as warfarin, clopidogrel, and aspirin, and diabetes medications. Lab research suggests jequirity bean constituents may slow blood clotting, which could add to the effect of blood thinners, and animal research suggests it may lower blood sugar, which could raise the chance of low blood sugar with diabetes drugs. Both effects are theoretical rather than proven in people, but they touch on medicines where even small changes matter, so watching for unusual bruising, bleeding, or blood sugar shifts makes sense.
The long list of interacting medications mostly reflects one lab finding that jequirity might affect an enzyme the body uses to clear many drugs. That effect has not been shown to occur in humans, so most of these pairings are predicted rather than real-world problems.
Based on HelloPharmacist’s Jequirity interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.
Drugs that interact with Jequirity
813 medications have a known interaction with Jequirity, graded by severity. Select any drug for the full evidence-based detail.
Don’t want to scroll the list? Just ask.
Tell us the medications you take and we’ll check each one against Jequirity using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.
AI summaries are generated from our Jequirity interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI
No drugs match “”.
What Severity, Likelihood & Evidence Mean
Severity — How Serious It Can Be
- Major. Clinically significant; generally best avoided, or used only under direct professional supervision.
- Moderate. May need monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one.
- Minor. Generally not clinically significant, but still worth noting and mentioning to your pharmacist.
- No known interaction. Checked against our sources with nothing documented — not the same as proven safety.
Likelihood — How Well It’s Documented
- Likely. Well-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction
- Probable. Interaction 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.
- Possible. 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
- Unlikely. Interaction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Where This Data Comes From
- Interaction records are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database (TRC Healthcare), the same reference used by pharmacists and hospitals.
- Each drug listed above links to the full report for that exact Jequirity combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
- Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.
The kinds of drugs Jequirity affects
Every type of medication (drug category) Jequirity is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.
Anticoagulant/Antiplatelet Drugs
Evidence from in vitro research suggests that constituents of jequirity beans can inhibit platelet aggregation. Theoretically, jequirity might increase the risk of bleeding when used with antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs. Some anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), and others.
Antidiabetes Drugs
Evidence from animal research suggests that an extract of jequirity can reduce blood glucose levels. Theoretically, jequirity might have additive effects with antidiabetes drugs and increase the risk of hypoglycemia. Monitor blood glucose levels closely. Dose adjustments might be necessary. Some antidiabetes drugs include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), and others.
Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates
In vitro research shows that jequirity extract inhibits CYP3A4 enzymes. Theoretically, taking jequirity may inhibit the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Jequirity: Uses, Safety & Side Effects
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.

- Scientific name
- Abrus precatorius
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Part used
- Seeds, roots, and leaves
- Common forms
- Traditional preparations (rarely used today); seeds are sometimes used in jewelry and beadwork
- Asthma and cough
- Fever
- Sore throat and bronchitis
- Liver complaints (hepatitis)
- Constipation
- Traditional infectious-disease remedies
Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.
The seeds contain abrin, a potentially deadly toxin, so jequirity is not safe to take.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.
Overview
Jequirity comes from Abrus precatorius, a climbing vine in the bean (Fabaceae) family. It is native to India and grows in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The plant is best known for its small, shiny seeds that are bright red with a single black spot at one end.
These eye-catching seeds have long been used to make jewelry, prayer beads, and rattles, and in some places they were once used as small weights. In traditional medicine systems, different parts of the plant have been used for many conditions. However, the seeds are extremely poisonous, which is the most important thing to know about this plant.
Uses & effectiveness
In traditional medicine, jequirity has been used for a wide range of problems, including asthma, cough, fever, sore throat, bronchitis, liver complaints, constipation, and various infections. Some folk uses also include skin and eye conditions.
The scientific evidence to support any of these uses in people is very limited and low quality. Most information comes from traditional reports, laboratory tests, or animal studies. There is no good clinical proof that jequirity safely treats any health condition. Because the plant is so toxic, the risks far outweigh any unproven benefit.
How it works
The seeds of jequirity contain a protein called abrin. Abrin is a powerful toxin that works by stopping cells from making the proteins they need to survive, which can cause cells to die. It is chemically similar to ricin, the toxin found in castor beans.
The plant also contains other compounds that have been studied in the laboratory for possible effects, but most of this research is preliminary and done in test tubes or animals. These early findings do not show that jequirity is a safe or useful medicine for people.
Safety & precautions
Jequirity seeds are highly toxic and can be deadly if swallowed, especially if the hard seed coat is broken or chewed. Even a small amount of abrin can cause serious harm. Poisoning has occurred from eating seeds and from handling broken seeds. Children are at especially high risk because the colorful seeds can look like candy.
For these reasons, jequirity should not be used as a supplement or home remedy. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should absolutely avoid it, as it is toxic and has traditional links to pregnancy harm. If you have any of the seeds, keep them away from children and pets. If a seed is swallowed, seek emergency medical care or contact a poison control center right away.
Side effects
Poisoning from jequirity seeds can cause severe symptoms. Early signs often include nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain, along with severe diarrhea that may become bloody.
As the toxin spreads, it can lead to dehydration, organ damage (including the liver and kidneys), seizures, and in serious cases, death. Direct contact with broken seeds may also irritate the skin or eyes. Any suspected exposure is a medical emergency.
Jequirity: Reported Adverse Effects
Documented safety reports on Jequirity from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database, shown word-for-word from the licensed record.
Orally, jequirity is associated with serious adverse effects. Chewing jequirity seeds or consuming seeds with cracked shells can cause stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea (possibly bloody), cold sweats, fever, drowsiness, anxiety, weakness, hypertension, tachycardia, pulmonary edema, kidney failure, liver toxicity, coma, circulatory collapse, cerebral edema, and death. Signs of toxicity, including gastroenteritis, may occur several hours after ingestion of the seeds, followed by the development of bloody diarrhea. More often, however, there can be a latent period of approximately 3-4 days after ingestion of the seeds prior to the development of toxic symptoms. Adverse events, including death, may occur up to 10-14 days after ingestion of the seeds. Iron deficiency anemia, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, and mild thrombocytosis have been reported in a 2-year old who consumed crushed jequirity seeds.
Topically, jequirity seeds can cause dermatitis when worn as a necklace. Eye contact with the seed's contents can cause necrotizing conjunctivitis.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Niyogi SK. Deadly crab's eye: Abrus precatorius poisoning. N Engl J Med 1969;281:51-2.
- Fernando C. Poisoning due to Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean). Anaesthesia 2001;56:1178-80.
- Karthikeyan A, Amalnath SD. Abrus precatorius poisoning: a retrospective study of 112 patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2017;21(4):224-5.
- Patil MM, Patil SV, Akki AS, Lakhkar B, Badiger S. An arrow poison (Abrus precatorius) causing fatal poisoning in a child. J Clin Diagn Res 2016;10(3):SD03-4.
- Huang J, Zhang W, Li X, et al. Acute abrin poisoning treated with continuous renal replacement therapy and hemoperfusion successfully: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7423.
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
Anemia Hematologic
Iron deficiency anemia, hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, and mild thrombocytosis have been reported in a 2-year old who eventually died after experiencing bloody diarrhea related to consumption of crushed jequirity seeds.
Anxiety Neurologic/CNS
Orally, jequirity beans can cause cold sweats, fever, drowsiness, anxiety, cerebral edema, coma, increased intracranial pressure, acute demyelinating encephalitis, and seizures.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Sahoo R, Hamide A, Amalnath SD, Narayana BS. Acute demyelinating encephalitis due to Abrus precatorius poisoning--complete recovery after steroid therapy. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(10):1071-1073.
- Sahni V, Agarwal SK, Singh NP, Sikdar S. Acute demyelinating encephalitis after jequirity pea ingestion (Abrus precatorius). Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2007;45(1):77-79.
- Subrahmanyan D, Mathew J, Raj M. An unusual manifestation of Abrus precatorius poisoning: a report of two cases. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(2):173-175.
- Karthikeyan A, Amalnath SD. Abrus precatorius poisoning: a retrospective study of 112 patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2017;21(4):224-5.
- Patil MM, Patil SV, Akki AS, Lakhkar B, Badiger S. An arrow poison (Abrus precatorius) causing fatal poisoning in a child. J Clin Diagn Res 2016;10(3):SD03-4.
- Huang J, Zhang W, Li X, et al. Acute abrin poisoning treated with continuous renal replacement therapy and hemoperfusion successfully: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7423.
Conjunctivitis Ocular/Otic
Topically, constituents or extract of jequirity beans may cause necrotizing conjunctivitis when applied to the eye.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Somerset EJ. SELF INFLICTED CONJUNCTIVITIS: An account of cases produced by the jequirity and castor oil seeds. Br J Ophthalmol 1945;29(4):196-204.
- Andrews JA. Jequirity Ophthalmia. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 1884;3:679-685.
Dermatitis Dermatologic
Topically, wearing jewelry made with jequirity beans can cause dermatitis.
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
Diarrhea Gastrointestinal
Eating, chewing, or sucking on jequirity beans with cracked or crushed shells can cause stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and severe diarrhea that may be bloody. Other symptoms include erosions of the intestinal epithelium. Death, occurring in approximately 5% of patients consuming cracked or crushed jequirity beans, is usually due to severe fluid loss occurring with profuse bloody diarrhea.
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Jang DH, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS. Attempted suicide, by mail order: Abrus precatorius. J Med Toxicol 2010;6(4):427-430.
- Sahoo R, Hamide A, Amalnath SD, Narayana BS. Acute demyelinating encephalitis due to Abrus precatorius poisoning--complete recovery after steroid therapy. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(10):1071-1073.
- Karthikeyan A, Amalnath SD. Abrus precatorius poisoning: a retrospective study of 112 patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2017;21(4):224-5.
- Patil MM, Patil SV, Akki AS, Lakhkar B, Badiger S. An arrow poison (Abrus precatorius) causing fatal poisoning in a child. J Clin Diagn Res 2016;10(3):SD03-4.
- Huang J, Zhang W, Li X, et al. Acute abrin poisoning treated with continuous renal replacement therapy and hemoperfusion successfully: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7423.
- Subrahmanyan D, Mathew J, Raj M. An unusual manifestation of Abrus precatorius poisoning: a report of two cases. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(2):173-175.
Diarrhea Other
Orally, jequirity is associated with serious adverse effects. Chewing jequirity seeds or consuming seeds with cracked shells can cause toxicity and death. Signs of toxicity may occur several hours after ingestion of the seeds, followed by the development of bloody diarrhea. More often, however, there can be a latent period of approximately 3-4 days after ingestion of the seeds prior to the development of toxic symptoms. Adverse events, including death, may occur up to 10-14 days after ingestion of the seeds.
Effective management of jequirity and abrin toxicity can include gastric lavage, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with hemoperfusion, proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy, as well as liver protection, hemostasis, and normalization of blood volume and electrolytes.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Niyogi SK. Deadly crab's eye: Abrus precatorius poisoning. N Engl J Med 1969;281:51-2.
- Fernando C. Poisoning due to Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean). Anaesthesia 2001;56:1178-80.
- Karthikeyan A, Amalnath SD. Abrus precatorius poisoning: a retrospective study of 112 patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2017;21(4):224-5.
- Patil MM, Patil SV, Akki AS, Lakhkar B, Badiger S. An arrow poison (Abrus precatorius) causing fatal poisoning in a child. J Clin Diagn Res 2016;10(3):SD03-4.
- Huang J, Zhang W, Li X, et al. Acute abrin poisoning treated with continuous renal replacement therapy and hemoperfusion successfully: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7423.
Hypertension Cardiovascular
Orally, chewed or cracked jequirity beans can cause hypertension, tachycardia, or circulatory collapse.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Fernando C. Poisoning due to Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean). Anaesthesia 2001;56:1178-80.
Kidney failure Renal
Orally, crushed or cracked jequirity beans have been reported to cause kidney failure. Death has occurred following kidney failure in a 2-year old child who ingested crushed jequirity beans.
Pregnancy-related edema Pulmonary/Respiratory
Orally, crushed or cracked jequirity beans can cause pulmonary edema.
Adverse-effects data: Natural Medicines, Therapeutic Research Center
Dosing
There is no safe or established dose of jequirity for use as a supplement or medicine. Because the seeds contain a deadly toxin, no amount is considered safe to swallow.
We do not recommend taking jequirity in any form. If you are considering a traditional remedy that may contain it, talk with a pharmacist or doctor first and choose a safer, evidence-based option instead.
Jequirity & Pregnancy
Jequirity & Breastfeeding
© 2026 Therapeutic Research Center
Pregnancy & lactation ratings: Natural Medicines, Therapeutic Research Center
References & further reading
The 17 references that drive our Jequirity 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.
- The Review of Natural Products by Facts and Comparisons. St. Louis, MO: Wolters Kluwer Co., 1999.
- Davies JH. Abrus precatorius (rosary pea). The most common lethal plant poison. J Fla Med Assoc 1978;65:188-91.
- Kuo SC, Chen SC, Chen LH, et al. Potent antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic isoflavanquinones from the roots of Abrus precatorius. Planta Med 1995;61:307-12.
- Niyogi SK. Deadly crab's eye: Abrus precatorius poisoning. N Engl J Med 1969;281:51-2.
- Fernando C. Poisoning due to Abrus precatorius (jequirity bean). Anaesthesia 2001;56:1178-80. PubMed
- Agarwal SS, Ghatak N, Arora RB, Bhardwaj MM. Antifertility activity of the roots of Abrus precatorius, Linn. Pharma Res Comm 1970;2(2):159-163. DOI
- Jang DH, Hoffman RS, Nelson LS. Attempted suicide, by mail order: Abrus precatorius. J Med Toxicol 2010;6(4):427-430. PubMed
- Nwanjo HU. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of aqueous extracts of Abrus precatorius Linn seeds in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. J Herbs Spice Med Plants 2008;14(1-2):68-76.
- Sahoo R, Hamide A, Amalnath SD, Narayana BS. Acute demyelinating encephalitis due to Abrus precatorius poisoning--complete recovery after steroid therapy. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(10):1071-1073.
- Sahni V, Agarwal SK, Singh NP, Sikdar S. Acute demyelinating encephalitis after jequirity pea ingestion (Abrus precatorius). Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2007;45(1):77-79.
- Subrahmanyan D, Mathew J, Raj M. An unusual manifestation of Abrus precatorius poisoning: a report of two cases. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2008;46(2):173-175. PubMed
- Somerset EJ. SELF INFLICTED CONJUNCTIVITIS: An account of cases produced by the jequirity and castor oil seeds. Br J Ophthalmol 1945;29(4):196-204. PubMed
- Andrews JA. Jequirity Ophthalmia. Trans Am Ophthalmol Soc 1884;3:679-685.
- Karthikeyan A, Amalnath SD. Abrus precatorius poisoning: a retrospective study of 112 patients. Indian J Crit Care Med 2017;21(4):224-5.
- Patil MM, Patil SV, Akki AS, Lakhkar B, Badiger S. An arrow poison (Abrus precatorius) causing fatal poisoning in a child. J Clin Diagn Res 2016;10(3):SD03-4. PubMed
- Huang J, Zhang W, Li X, et al. Acute abrin poisoning treated with continuous renal replacement therapy and hemoperfusion successfully: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(27):e7423. PubMed
- 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.
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.
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
Jequirity: Common Questions
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Why are the seeds used in jewelry if they are poisonous?
Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy
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