Effects of the Usage of L-Cysteine (l-Cys) on Human Health

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2018 Mar 8

PMID 29510494

Citations 26

Authors

Noelia Clemente Plaza

Manuel Reig Garcia-Galbis

Rosa Maria Martinez-Espinosa

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This review summarizes recent knowledge about the use of the amino acid l-Cysteine (l-Cys) through diet, nutritional supplements or drugs with the aim to improve human health or treat certain diseases. Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) and different keywords have been used to create a database of documents published between 1950 and 2017 in scientific journals in English or Spanish. A total of 60,885 primary publications were ultimately selected to compile accurate information about the use of l-Cys in medicine and nutritional therapies and to identify the reported benefits of l-Cys on human health. The number of publications about the use of l-Cys for these purposes has increased significantly during the last two decades. This increase seems to be closely related to the rise of nutraceutical industries and personalized medicine. The main evidence reporting benefits of l-Cys usage is summarized. However, the lack of accurate information and studies based on clinical trials hampers consensus among authors. Thus, the debate about the role and effectiveness of supplements/drugs containing l-Cys is still open.

Citing Articles

Effects of vitamin D and L-cysteine cosupplementation on circulating bioavailable and total 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, the free/total testosterone ratio and inflammatory biomarkers in healthy vitamin D-deficient African Americans: a placebo-controlled....

Jain S, Margret J, Zachary Jr A, Lally M, Vanchiere J, Mhanna M BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2025; 7(2):e000856.

PMID: 39882299 PMC: 11773665. DOI: 10.1136/bmjnph-2023-000856.

Protective Effects of L-Cysteine Against Cisplatin-Induced Oxidative Stress-Mediated Reproductive Damage.

Chiang Y, Chen Y, Huang K, Hung W, Chung C, Shieh T Antioxidants (Basel). 2025; 13(12.

PMID: 39765772 PMC: 11672833. DOI: 10.3390/antiox13121443.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation Activity of Polysaccharides and Their Protective Effect on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression and Intestinal Injury in Mice.

Ma H, Mueed A, Ma Y, Ibrahim M, Su L, Wang Q Foods. 2024; 13(23).

PMID: 39682952 PMC: 11640258. DOI: 10.3390/foods13233881.

Controversies in our understanding of extreme hyperbilirubinemia in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-deficient neonates.

Kaplan M, Kassirer Y, Hammerman C Pediatr Res. 2024; .

PMID: 39370450 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03611-8.

The Protective Role of L-Cysteine in the Regulation of Blood-Testis Barrier Functions-A Brief Review.

Margret J, Jain S Genes (Basel). 2024; 15(9).

PMID: 39336792 PMC: 11430845. DOI: 10.3390/genes15091201.

References

Robinson S, Saif R, Sen G, French J, Jaques B, Charnley R . N-acetylcysteine administration does not improve patient outcome after liver resection. HPB (Oxford). 2013; 15(6):457-62. PMC: 3664050. DOI: 10.1111/hpb.12005. View

Ozdemir Z, Koc A, Aycicek A, Kocyigit A . N-Acetylcysteine supplementation reduces oxidative stress and DNA damage in children with β-thalassemia. Hemoglobin. 2014; 38(5):359-64. DOI: 10.3109/03630269.2014.951890. View

Doosti A, Lotfi Y, Moossavi A, Bakhshi E, Talasaz A, Hoorzad A . Comparison of the effects of N-acetyl-cysteine and ginseng in prevention of noise induced hearing loss in male textile workers. Noise Health. 2014; 16(71):223-7. DOI: 10.4103/1463-1741.137057. View

Cooper A, Bruschi S, Anders M . Toxic, halogenated cysteine S-conjugates and targeting of mitochondrial enzymes of energy metabolism. Biochem Pharmacol. 2002; 64(4):553-64. DOI: 10.1016/s0006-2952(02)01076-6. View

Stipanuk M . Metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. Annu Rev Nutr. 1986; 6:179-209. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.nu.06.070186.001143. View

Goluch-Koniuszy Z . Nutrition of women with hair loss problem during the period of menopause. Prz Menopauzalny. 2016; 15(1):56-61. PMC: 4828511. DOI: 10.5114/pm.2016.58776. View

Petri H, Pierchalla P, Tronnier H . [The efficacy of drug therapy in structural lesions of the hair and in diffuse effluvium--comparative double blind study]. Schweiz Rundsch Med Prax. 1990; 79(47):1457-62. View

Carter R, Morton N . Cysteine and hydrogen sulphide in the regulation of metabolism: insights from genetics and pharmacology. J Pathol. 2015; 238(2):321-32. PMC: 4832394. DOI: 10.1002/path.4659. View

Pache de Faria Guimaraes L, Seguro A, Shimizu M, Lopes Neri L, Sumita N, de Braganca A . N-acetyl-cysteine is associated to renal function improvement in patients with nephropathic cystinosis. Pediatr Nephrol. 2013; 29(6):1097-102. DOI: 10.1007/s00467-013-2705-3. View

10.

Kasamatsu S, Nishimura A, Morita M, Matsunaga T, Hamid H, Akaike T . Redox Signaling Regulated by Cysteine Persulfide and Protein Polysulfidation. Molecules. 2016; 21(12). PMC: 6273478. DOI: 10.3390/molecules21121721. View

11.

Hildebrandt W, Sauer R, Bonaterra G, Dugi K, Edler L, Kinscherf R . Oral N-acetylcysteine reduces plasma homocysteine concentrations regardless of lipid or smoking status. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015; 102(5):1014-24. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.114.101964. View

12.

Geck R, Toker A . Nonessential amino acid metabolism in breast cancer. Adv Biol Regul. 2016; 62:11-17. DOI: 10.1016/j.jbior.2016.01.001. View

13.

Bin P, Huang R, Zhou X . Oxidation Resistance of the Sulfur Amino Acids: Methionine and Cysteine. Biomed Res Int. 2018; 2017:9584932. PMC: 5763110. DOI: 10.1155/2017/9584932. View

14.

Badaloo A, Reid M, Forrester T, Heird W, Jahoor F . Cysteine supplementation improves the erythrocyte glutathione synthesis rate in children with severe edematous malnutrition. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002; 76(3):646-52. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/76.3.646. View

15.

EISENBERG D, Davis R, Ettner S, Appel S, Wilkey S, Van Rompay M . Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990-1997: results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA. 1998; 280(18):1569-75. DOI: 10.1001/jama.280.18.1569. View

16.

Jain S, Micinski D, Huning L, Kahlon G, Bass P, Levine S . Vitamin D and L-cysteine levels correlate positively with GSH and negatively with insulin resistance levels in the blood of type 2 diabetic patients. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2014; 68(10):1148-53. PMC: 4192028. DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.114. View

17.

Pereira S, Shah A, Fantus I, Joseph J, Giacca A . Effect of N-acetyl-l-cysteine on insulin resistance caused by prolonged free fatty acid elevation. J Endocrinol. 2015; 225(1):1-7. DOI: 10.1530/JOE-14-0676. View

18.

Janaky R, Varga V, Hermann A, Saransaari P, Oja S . Mechanisms of L-cysteine neurotoxicity. Neurochem Res. 2000; 25(9-10):1397-405. DOI: 10.1023/a:1007616817499. View

19.

Uchide N, Toyoda H . Antioxidant therapy as a potential approach to severe influenza-associated complications. Molecules. 2011; 16(3):2032-52. PMC: 6259602. DOI: 10.3390/molecules16032032. View

20.

Echevarria M, Andrade Reis T, Ruffo Capatti G, Siciliano Soares V, da Silveira D, Fidalgo T . N-acetylcysteine for treating cocaine addiction - A systematic review. Psychiatry Res. 2017; 251:197-203. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.02.024. View