AbstractThe effects of different forms of monosaccharides on the brain remain unclear, though neuropsychiatric disorders undergo changes in glucose metabolism. This study assessed cell viability responses to five commonly consumed monosaccharides—D-ribose (RIB), D-glucose, D-mannose (MAN), D-xylose and L-arabinose—in cultured neuro-2a cells. Markedly decreased cell viability was observed in cells treated with RIB and MAN. We then showed that high-dose administration of RIB induced depressive- and anxiety-like behavior as well as spatial memory impairment in mice, while high-dose administration of MAN induced anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory impairment only. Moreover, significant pathological changes were observed in the hippocampus of high-dose RIB-treated mice by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Association analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome suggested that the anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory impairment induced by RIB and MAN may be attributed to the changes in four metabolites and 81 genes in the hippocampus, which is involved in amino acid metabolism and serotonin transport. In addition, combined with previous genome-wide association studies on depression, a correlation was found between the levels of Tnni3k and Tbx1 in the hippocampus and RIB induced depressive-like behavior. Finally, metabolite–gene network, qRT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that the insulin-POMC-MEK-TCF7L2 and MAPK-CREB-GRIN2A-CaMKII signaling pathways were respectively associated with RIB and MAN induced depressive/anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory impairment. Our findings clarified our understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying RIB and MAN induced depressive/anxiety-like behavior and spatial memory impairment in mice and highlighted the deleterious effects of high-dose RIB and MAN as long-term energy sources.