Aim To investigate the protective effect of riboflavin on ischemia brain damage and the mechanism. Methods The in vivo experiments were processed in male SD rats. Rats were randomly arranged into control group, model group and riboflavin group. The rats in riboflavin group were intraperitoneally injected riboflavin at the dose of 1 mg • kg"1 for seven consecutive days. Then the rats in model and riboflavin groups were carried out middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) operation. After 24 h, all rats were sacri ficed and the brain tissue was d...