Astragalus membranaceus

01 Identity and provenance

Accepted binomial: Astragalus membranaceus
Common names: Astragalus
Family (APG IV): Fabaceae
Part used: Root
Verification tier: Tier 1 · chemistry only Taxonomy, plant part and marker chemistry are populated and stable. The clinical columns are deliberately empty because no primary source has been retrieved for them yet. Interactions shown below are rule predictions from the constituent chemistry, not clinical findings.
Reviewer note (2026 audit): TIER 1 populated (name, family, part, constituent class, marker) - stable taxonomic/phytochemical facts. TIER 2 columns (analogue, application, brand, interactions, side effects) left blank BY DESIGN - populate only from retrieved primary literature. Do not use clinically until Tier 2 is filled and a reference is recorded.

02 Constituent chemistry

Chemical class	Marker compound	Synthetic analogue in use
Triterpenoid saponins, polysaccharides	Astragaloside IV Root	none listed

The analogue column is what makes the interaction reasoning tractable: where a constituent has a marketed structural counterpart, the counterpart's interaction profile is the starting hypothesis for the plant.

Looking up structures and physicochemical properties from PubChem…

03 Stated application

Left empty by design — this is a Tier 1 entry, and the clinical columns are only populated once a primary source has been retrieved for them.

04 Interaction matrix

Predicted from constituent chemistry

These edges are not clinical findings. Each one is a rule inference: a constituent class in this plant is known to act on a target that the drug class also acts on. They are shown because a blank cell reads as “safe”, and for a Tier 1 entry a blank cell only means “not yet looked at”. Treat them as a literature-search agenda, not as a warning.

Drug class	Severity	Mechanism type	Provenance	Expected effect
Cardiac glycosides (digoxin, digitoxin) Cardiovascular	4Contraindicated	PD-additive + PK-transporter + assay interference	predicted D	Nausea, xanthopsia, bradyarrhythmia, AV block, ventricular tachycardia an…	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Hydrocolloids raise luminal viscosity and physically entrap co-administered drug molecules, delaying and reducing absorption. Class mechanism. Cardenolide- and bufadienolide-bearing plants are themselves Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitors, so co-administration is pharmacological overdose. Several also inhibit intestinal P-glycoprotein, raising digoxin exposure, and cross-react with digoxin immunoassays so that serum levels become uninterpretable. Expected Nausea, xanthopsia, bradyarrhythmia, AV block, ventricular tachycardia and death; falsely reassuring or falsely high assay results. Management Treat as an absolute contraindication. If exposure has occurred, manage on ECG and clinical grounds, not on assay values, and consult toxicology about digoxin-specific Fab. Onset rapid Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism
Antidiabetic drugs (insulin, sulfonylureas, biguanides, GLP-1, SGLT2) Endocrine	3Major	PD-additive	predicted D	Symptomatic hypoglycaemia, sweating, tremor, confusion; severe events rep…	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Hydrocolloids raise luminal viscosity and physically entrap co-administered drug molecules, delaying and reducing absorption. Class mechanism. Hypoglycaemic botanicals act through insulin secretagogue, insulin-sensitising, alpha-glucosidase-inhibiting or glucose-transport routes. Added to a titrated pharmacological regimen the effects summate rather than plateau. Expected Symptomatic hypoglycaemia, sweating, tremor, confusion; severe events reported with insulin and sulfonylureas. Management Increase self-monitoring frequency for 2 weeks after starting or stopping. Anticipate a downward dose adjustment of insulin or sulfonylurea. Onset rapid Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism
Antiplatelet agents Haemostasis	3Major	PD-additive	predicted D	Prolonged bleeding time, surgical and post-procedural bleeding, bruising,…	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Triterpene and steroidal saponins alter membrane permeability, inhibit platelet aggregation and show weak steroid-receptor affinity. Class mechanism. Organosulfur compounds, gingerols, salicylates, ginkgolides and eugenol inhibit thromboxane A2 synthesis, platelet aggregation and PAF-mediated activation, duplicating the pharmacology of aspirin and P2Y12 blockers. Expected Prolonged bleeding time, surgical and post-procedural bleeding, bruising, haematuria. Management Stop the botanical 7-14 days before elective surgery or neuraxial anaesthesia. Record it on the pre-operative medicines list. Onset rapid Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism
Hormonal therapy, oral contraceptives and HRT Endocrine	3Major	PK-CYP3A4 induction + PD-oestrogenic	predicted D	Breakthrough bleeding and contraceptive failure; unpredictable effect in …	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Triterpene and steroidal saponins alter membrane permeability, inhibit platelet aggregation and show weak steroid-receptor affinity. Class mechanism. CYP3A4-inducing botanicals accelerate ethinylestradiol and progestin clearance. Separately, isoflavone, lignan and coumestan phyto-oestrogens bind oestrogen receptors and may add to or compete with prescribed hormones. Expected Breakthrough bleeding and contraceptive failure; unpredictable effect in hormone-sensitive malignancy. Management Advise a second, non-hormonal contraceptive method. Avoid phyto-oestrogens in oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer without oncology advice. Onset delayed Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism
Antibacterials and anthelmintics Infection	2Moderate	PK-chelation + PK-CYP	predicted D	Treatment failure from subtherapeutic antibiotic concentrations, or raise…	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Hydrocolloids raise luminal viscosity and physically entrap co-administered drug molecules, delaying and reducing absorption. Class mechanism. Cation- and tannin-rich botanicals chelate tetracyclines and fluoroquinolones; efflux-pump-inhibiting and CYP-modulating constituents alter macrolide, rifamycin and azole exposure. Anthelmintic botanicals add to praziquantel and albendazole effect. Expected Treatment failure from subtherapeutic antibiotic concentrations, or raised toxicity of azoles and macrolides. Management Separate doses by 2-3 hours. Do not rely on botanical antimicrobials in place of an indicated antibiotic. Onset unspecified Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism
Iron, calcium and mineral supplements Nutrition	2Moderate	PK-chelation	predicted D	Failure of iron-deficiency correction, unexplained non-response to oral i…	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Hydrocolloids raise luminal viscosity and physically entrap co-administered drug molecules, delaying and reducing absorption. Class mechanism. Tannins, phytates, oxalates and mucilage form insoluble complexes with divalent and trivalent cations in the gut lumen, reducing absorption of both the mineral and any co-administered chelating drug. Expected Failure of iron-deficiency correction, unexplained non-response to oral iron or calcium. Management Separate mineral doses from tannin- and fibre-rich botanicals by at least 2 hours; take iron with ascorbate instead. Onset unspecified Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism
Thyroid hormones and antithyroid drugs Endocrine	2Moderate	PK-absorption + PD-modulation	predicted D	Iatrogenic hyper- or hypothyroidism, unexplained TSH drift, loss of euthy…	why ▾
Chemistry of this pair. Hydrocolloids raise luminal viscosity and physically entrap co-administered drug molecules, delaying and reducing absorption. Class mechanism. Guggulsterone stimulates thyroid function and T4-to-T3 conversion; goitrogenic glucosinolates and lithospermic acid suppress it; high-fibre and cation-rich botanicals bind levothyroxine in the gut and reduce absorption. Expected Iatrogenic hyper- or hypothyroidism, unexplained TSH drift, loss of euthyroid control. Management Separate levothyroxine from fibre and mineral products by 4 hours. Recheck TSH 6-8 weeks after any botanical change. Onset unspecified Evidence D - in silico rule prediction only Find evidence for this pair Map this mechanism

05 Hazard register

The audit recorded no hazard beyond the interaction profile. The controlled-vocabulary field reads not assessed, which means the assessment has not been done rather than that it came back clear.

06 Confusable material

These entries could be mistaken for this one in trade, in the herbarium, or in a prescription. Powdered material is often indistinguishable, so the check is macroscopic, microscopic and chromatographic rather than nominal.

Astragalus gummifer

Tragacanth

Fabaceae

Same genus (Astragalus)

07 Mechanism map

Chemistry sorts to the left, pharmacology to the right. Dashed edges are predicted. Drag nodes, scroll to zoom, export at 3× for a figure.

species

chemical class

marker compound

drug class

expected effect

hazard

08 Open literature

Abstract-scoped query built from this binomial, its common names and its marker compounds, run live against Europe PMC, PubMed and OpenAlex, then ranked locally against an evidence hierarchy.

Checking openFDA spontaneous reports…

09 Isomechanistic neighbours

Species whose interaction profile overlaps this one, ranked by shared severity weight rather than by count — a shared contraindication counts for more than a shared minor signal. Practical use: these are the plants you should not stack with this one, because the mechanisms summate.

Species	Family	Shared classes	Jaccard
Trigonella foenum-graecum Fenugreek	Fabaceae	7	1.00
Panax ginseng Ginseng	Araliaceae	7	0.70
Echinacea purpurea Echinacea	Asteraceae	6	0.46
Linum usitatissimum Flax (Alsi)	Linaceae	6	0.75
Phyllanthus amarus Bhui Amla	Phyllanthaceae	6	0.46
Senegalia senegal Gum Acacia	Fabaceae	5	0.71

10 References and notes

No citation is on record for this entry. That is itself the finding: the audit flagged it, and it is why the entry does not carry an A evidence grade.

Curator notes

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