Herb & supplement monograph

Polypodium Leucotomos Drug Interactions, Uses, Effectiveness, Safety & More

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS ·Updated July 2026

What is this page for?

First and foremost: how Polypodium Leucotomos interacts with medications. The heart of this page is the interaction list — every drug Polypodium Leucotomos is known to interact with, and how serious each one is.

But these pages have grown well beyond that into a full monograph — what Polypodium Leucotomos 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

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Polypodium Leucotomos Drug Interactions: The Bottom Line

From the HelloPharmacist Editorial Team · Updated July 2026

Based on the available evidence, the overall risk of a clinically significant Polypodium Leucotomos drug interaction appears low for most people. None of the listed interactions are rated major or moderate, and every one is classed as minor with weak supporting evidence.

Interactions deserving the most attention

Honestly, nothing on this profile stands out as a strong concern. The only flagged group is medications processed by the CYP3A4 enzyme, a pathway the body uses to clear a large share of prescription drugs. Lab and animal work hinted Polypodium leucotomos might slow this pathway, but a small human study using midazolam found no meaningful change in how the drug was handled. In our view, that human finding weighs against the earlier lab signal.

What the rest of the list means

The long list of medications here reflects one theoretical mechanism applied across the many drugs that share the same clearance pathway, not hundreds of separate proven problems. Because the concern is based on lab and animal research, and human testing so far has not confirmed it, most of these pairings are unlikely to cause a noticeable effect in practice.

Check your medications against Polypodium Leucotomos

Based on HelloPharmacist’s Polypodium Leucotomos interaction data and reviewed under our editorial standards.

Interaction report

Drugs that interact with Polypodium Leucotomos

645 medications have a known interaction with Polypodium Leucotomos, 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 Polypodium Leucotomos using our pharmacist-reviewed interaction data.

AI summaries are generated from our Polypodium Leucotomos interaction data for education only — always confirm with your pharmacist. How we use AI

2,830 drugs

Read The List Like a Pharmacist

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 Polypodium Leucotomos combination — clinical detail, likelihood, evidence level, and citations.
Content is reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

The big picture

The kinds of drugs Polypodium Leucotomos affects

Every type of medication (drug category) Polypodium Leucotomos is known to interact with. Open any category for the detail — or search your exact drug in the checker above.

All 1 drug category Polypodium Leucotomos interacts with

Cytochrome P450 3a4 (cyp3a4) Substrates

Cytochrome P450 3A4 (Cyp3A4) Substrates

Theoretically, Polypodium leucotomos might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP3A4.
In vitro and animal research suggests that Polypodium leucotomos can decrease the metabolism of midazolam by a mechanism possibly related to the inhibition of CYP3A4. However, a small study in humans suggests that taking Polypodium leucotomos with midazolam does not affect the metabolism of midazolam.

Likelihood Unlikely Evidence B

Monograph

Polypodium Leucotomos: Uses, Safety & Side Effects

Medically reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS · Reviewed July 2026 ·

The bottom line

Polypodium leucotomos is a fern extract taken by mouth, mostly studied as an add-on to (not a replacement for) sunscreen and for certain light-triggered skin conditions. Some early research is promising for reducing sun sensitivity, but the evidence is still limited and it should not replace standard sun protection. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before starting it.

Scientific name: Polypodium leucotomos
Family: Polypodiaceae
Part used: Leaves (fronds) and rhizome extract
Common forms: Capsules, tablets, oral supplements

People commonly use it for

Sun sensitivity and sunburn protection
Skin conditions like vitiligo and melasma
Polymorphic light eruption
Skin aging and photoaging
Atopic dermatitis support

Popular and traditional uses — not proof it works. See “Uses & effectiveness” below for the evidence.

Safety at a glance

OverallUse caution

Generally well tolerated in studies, but long-term safety is not well established.

PregnancyInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full pregnancy detail

BreastfeedingInsufficient reliable information

Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

Read the full breastfeeding detail

Pregnancy & breastfeeding ratings are from Natural Medicines (Therapeutic Research Center). Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

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Overview

Polypodium leucotomos is an extract made from a tropical fern that grows in parts of Central and South America. The extract comes mainly from the leaves and underground stem (rhizome) of the plant.

It has a long history of traditional use in some regions for skin problems. Today it is sold mostly as an oral supplement, often marketed as a pill you take to help protect your skin from the sun or to support certain skin conditions.

People most often use it alongside sunscreen, hats, and shade rather than instead of them.

How it works

The fern extract contains natural plant compounds, including polyphenols and other antioxidants. Researchers think these may help neutralize harmful molecules called free radicals that form in the skin after sun exposure.

Laboratory and animal studies suggest it may reduce some of the inflammation and DNA damage caused by UV light, and may help protect skin cells. It is important to know that much of this evidence comes from test-tube and animal research, and the effects in people are likely much smaller.

Effectiveness

Does Polypodium Leucotomos work?

Here’s what the research actually shows for each use — graded by Natural Medicines and reviewed by Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD.

Evidence overview · 11 uses evaluated

11 Insufficient evidence

How to read these evidence grades

Natural Medicines’ 7-point scale. We show each rating’s label word-for-word.

1EffectiveStrong, consistent evidence it works.

2Likely EffectiveGood evidence, though not yet conclusive.

3Possibly EffectiveSome evidence suggests a benefit.

4Possibly IneffectiveSome evidence it may not help.

5Likely IneffectiveFairly strong evidence it doesn’t help.

6IneffectiveStrong evidence it doesn’t work.

7Insufficient Reliable Evidence to RateToo little research to say either way.

For Polypodium Leucotomos, current evidence isn’t strong enough to rate any specific use. The conditions it has been studied for are listed below.

Also studied for 11 conditions — evidence insufficient to rate

Insufficient Reliable Evidence To Rate Actinic keratoses