d-Ribose-l-cysteine attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced memory deficits through inhibition of oxidative stress, release of proinflammatory cytokines, and nuclear factor-kappa B expression in mice

d -Ribose- l -cysteine (DRLC), an analog of cysteine that boosts glutathione (GSH) content, has been reported to mitigate oxidative stress–mediated diseases. This study seeks to evaluate the effects of DRLC on memory deficits and the biochemical and histo-morphological changes induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. Male Swiss mice ( n = 10) were pre-treated orally with three doses of DRLC (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg), donepezil (1 mg/kg), or vehicle (saline) for 30 min prior to the intraperitoneal injection of LPS (0.25 mg/kg) daily for 7 days. Memory functions were evaluated using the Y-maze, object recognition, and social recognition tests. The specific brain regions (prefrontal cortex and hippocampus) were evaluated to determine oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde, GSH, and catalase), acetyl-cholinesterase activity, proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6), expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and neuronal cell morphology. DRLC (25–100 mg/kg) reversed the memory deficits in the LPS-treated mice ( p