Formaldehyde produced from d-ribose under neutral and alkaline conditions

Abstract Formaldehyde is toxic and has been implicated in the pathologies of various diseases, such as cognitive impairment and cancer. Though d -ribose is widely studied and provided as a supplement to food such as flavor and drinks, no laboratories have reported that d -ribose is involved in the formaldehyde production. Here, we show that formaldehyde is produced from d -ribose in lysine or glycine solution and Tris−HCl buffer under neutral and alkaline conditions. Intraperitoneal injection of C57BL/6J mice with d -ribose significantly increased the concentration of brain formaldehyde, compared to the injection with d -glucose or saline. These data suggest that formaldehyde levels should be monitored for the people who take d -ribose as a supplement.