Luteolin recently has been proved to elicit a vanity of biological effects through its antioxidant and anti-apoptosis properties.Oxidative and apoptosis damage play an important role in cerebral ischemic pathogenesis and may represent a target for treatment.The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of luteolin and the underlying mechanisms in cerebral ischemia.Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO).