Herb Profile
Thunder God Vine
Tripterygium wilfordii
Botanical profile with evidence, safety, and practical fit.
Last reviewed: •3 sources citedReport a correctionProfile-wide ·Unassigned
Use extra caution — High toxicity herb; requires specialist supervision. Details
- Evidence
- Editorial Grade Not Demonstrated By Recorded Studies
- Typical onset
- Varies by prep
- Safety rating
- High caution
- Best for
- Anti Inflammatory, Tonic, Inflammatory signaling
- Avoid / review if
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding, Fertility Attempts, Liver Or Kidney Disease
Safety
Safety & Cautions
High toxicity herb; requires specialist supervision. Reproductive toxicity/infertility, severe GI effects, bone marrow suppression, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, infection risk, and clinically important drug interactions are possible.
High caution
Caution level: High. Multiple caution categories apply, or the record uses avoid/contraindication language.
- Interaction-AwareMedication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
- Liver-SensitiveLiver-related caution language appears in the profile.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding CautionPregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.
Detailed safety fields
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and contraindications
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding
- Fertility Attempts
- Liver Or Kidney Disease
- Cytopenias
- Immunosuppression Unless Specialist Managed.
- Immunosuppressants
- DMARDs
- Corticosteroids
- Hepatotoxic/Nephrotoxic Drugs
- Anticoagulants
Safety classifications
- Interaction-Aware: Medication or interaction context is explicitly noted.
- Liver-Sensitive: Liver-related caution language appears in the profile.
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution: Pregnancy or breastfeeding caution language is present.
Full safety note
- High toxicity herb; requires specialist supervision. Reproductive toxicity/infertility, severe GI effects, bone marrow suppression, hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, infection risk, and clinically important drug interactions are possible.
Safety labels
- Interaction-Aware
- Liver-Sensitive
- Pregnancy/Breastfeeding Caution
Evidence-based safety
Caution when combined
Severity and certainty are shown separately. A high-priority caution can still be theoretical: these pairings are screened from shared contraindication mechanisms and are not automatically documented clinical interactions. Provenance identifies the source fields that produced each flag; it does not upgrade the certainty of the pairwise claim.
High-Priority Caution
147 flagged pairingsBleeding / anticoagulant risk
High-Priority Caution
147 flagged pairingsBleeding / anticoagulant risk
Representative pairings are shown below. Large mechanism groups are intentionally summarized to keep profiles focused and crawl-efficient.
Bleeding / anticoagulant riskCertainty: Theoretical
Data provenance recorded for 147 of 147 pairings in this mechanism group.
- aescin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Aged Garlic Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- ajoene — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Ajwain — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Allicin — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Garlic — Theoretical interaction certainty
- American Ginseng Extract — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Andrographis — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Archangelica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Dahurica — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Pubescens — Theoretical interaction certainty
- Angelica Root — Theoretical interaction certainty
+135 more pairings share this mechanism. Use the Safety Checker to review a specific combination.
Evidence
Evidence Summary
Evidence lens
Treat this profile as unresolved until source review is complete.
Needs reviewEditorial Grade Not Demonstrated By Recorded Studies
Human clinical evidence: Not the primary signal
Mechanistic / preclinical: Mechanism mapped — Inflammatory Signaling Modulation · Immune Signaling Modulation · NF KB Modulation
Research maturity: Theoretical / mechanistic research — Mechanistic or unresolved evidence is kept separate from established human outcomes.
Safety boundary: Safety note available — High toxicity herb; requires specialist supervision.
This profile cites 3 human studies.
Study design details
Evidence Grade
Evidence grade not assigned
Evaluation of methodological rigor, population reach, and evidence alignment.
- Design Match
- Narrative review
- Risk of Bias
- High
- Consistency
- Not assessed
Strongest recorded design is a narrative review, drawn from 1 recorded study, none of which measured an outcome in people.
How evidence grades work
Each grade reflects the strength and consistency of published human evidence — not marketing claims. Grades are based on study count, design quality, effect size, consistency, and recency.
- Strong
- Multiple RCTs, consistent direction, adequate effect size
- Moderate
- Some RCTs or consistent observational data in humans
- Preliminary / Mixed
- Animal or in-vitro only, or conflicting human data
- Traditional / Theoretical
- Traditional use only; no controlled human trials
Clinical Study Summaries (3)0 human evidence sources · 0 human trials · Participant totals not consistently reported · Consistency not yet classifiable
Filter by study class
Showing 3 of 3 studies.
What the evidence actually shows
This table contains 3 structured sources, including 0 human evidence sources; 0 are human trials.
| Study | Design | N | Dose | Duration | Population | Outcome | Result & magnitude | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Song X et al. · Mol Med Rep · 2020 Background | Narrative review Summarizes selected literature without the full prespecified search and selection methods of a systematic review. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Treatment of obesity with celastrol Liu J et al. · Cell · 2015 Background | Other / unclear The study design is not yet classified clearly enough to infer its place in the evidence hierarchy. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Celastrol suppresses colorectal cancer via covalent targeting peroxiredoxin 1 Xu H et al. · Signal Transduct Target Ther · 2023 Background | Other / unclear The study design is not yet classified clearly enough to infer its place in the evidence hierarchy. | — | — | — | — | — | — | PubMed → |
Dosing & Timing
- No standardized dose
- Preparation specific; use standardized product label for Preparation varies by tradition and product form and require source backed dosage review before therapeutic claims.
How Thunder God Vine works
Simplified mechanism pathway based on preclinical and pharmacological evidence. Does not confirm clinical efficacy.
Mechanism Pathway — How Thunder God Vine Works
CompoundTarget / ReceptorMechanismEffect / Outcome
Mechanisms & biological pathways (preclinical)
- Inflammatory Signaling Modulation
- Immune Signaling Modulation
- NF KB Modulation
Active Compounds
Key constituents studied in Thunder God Vine, with full pharmacology and safety profiles.
Compare related active botanicals
Explore botanicals with similar chemistry, effects, or safety considerations in the Botanical Activity Atlas.
Compare & Sourcing
Compare side-by-side tradeoffs or verify active marker guidelines.
Sourcing options disabled for safety
Direct product recommendations and affiliate links are suppressed for this herb due to its high caution or needs-review safety classification.
Evaluate the safety checks, contraindications, and potential medication interactions above under clinician supervision before use.
Safety first · Harm reduction
This information is educational and not medical advice. Start low, avoid risky combinations, and consult a licensed clinician before making health decisions—especially if you use medications, have diagnosed conditions, or are pregnant/breastfeeding.
Learn how we evaluate confidence, safety, and intensity on the methodology page.
Founder & Head Researcher · Oak Ridge, TN · Last reviewed August 2026
Editorial Review
Checked against primary sources, cited evidence, and contraindication language before publication. Evidence claims, safety language, and affiliate modules are reviewed independently. Not personal medical advice.
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