Ethnopharmacological relevance: Total saponins of Panax notoginseng (TSPN), main constituents extracted from Panax Notoginseng, a highly valued traditional Chinese medicine, have been shown to be an effective agent on cerebral infarction. Aim of the study: The effects of TSPN on apoptosis and expressions of caspase-1, caspase-3 and caspase-8 were studied after cerebral ischemia for 2 h followed by reperfusion for 46 h in rats. Materials and methods: Rats were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model using the intraluminal thread. TSPN was administered intraperitonea...
