Abstract: Aim To study the protective effects of punax notojinseg (PNS) on local cerebral ischemia in rats. Methods Local cerebral ischemia in rats was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) without craniectomy.Results PNS in the doses of 200 and 400 mg·k^-1·d^-1x 10 d significantly decreased the infarct size and brain edema and ameliorated neurologic deficits in rats subjected to MCAO for 2 or 24 hours. The same dosage of PNS could markedly increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and decrease the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ca²⁺ in the brain.Conclusions Declining free radicals and decreasing Ca²⁺ content in brain might be one of the important factors involved in the anti-cerebral ischemia effect of PNS.

Key words: punax notojinseg, cerebral ischemia, free radicals, calcium, cerebral infarction, rat