PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION COMPRISING AN EXTRACT FROM OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA

摘要

A butanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica is provided to show distinctive neuroprotective effect in a cerebral ischemic animal model, thereby preventing and treating neurological brain diseases such as stroke, concussion of the brain, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease and ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. A pharmaceutical composition for preventing neurological brain diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and cardiovascular diseases comprises a butanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica as an effective ingredient, wherein the extract is obtained by extracting stems or fruits of the Opuntia ficus-indica with C1-4 lower alcohol solvent at a temperature of 20-90 deg.C, filtering the extract, evaporating the filtrate under reduced pressure to obtain an alcohol extract, adding water to the alcohol extract and extracting the aqueous extract with butanol. Further, the lower alcohol solvent is selected from a group consisting of anhydrous alcohol and alcohol water solution of 50% or more.