**Ran Kim 1, Daeun Hur 1, Hyoung Kyu Kim 2, Jin Han 2, Natalia P. Mishchenko 3, Sergey A. Fedoreyev 3, Valentin A. Stonik <sup>3</sup> and Woochul Chang 1,\***


Received: 10 July 2019; Accepted: 23 August 2019; Published: 28 August 2019

**Abstract:** Of late, researchers have taken interest in alternative medicines for the treatment of brain ischemic stroke, where full recovery is rarely seen despite advanced medical technologies. Due to its antioxidant activity, Echinochrome A (Ech A), a natural compound found in sea urchins, has acquired attention as an alternative clinical trial source for the treatment of ischemic stroke. The current study demonstrates considerable potential of Ech A as a medication for cerebral ischemic injury. To confirm the effects of Ech A on the recovery of the injured region and behavioral decline, Ech A was administered through the external carotid artery in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion model after reperfusion. The expression level of cell viability-related factors was also examined to confirm the mechanism of brain physiological restoration. Based on the results obtained, we propose that Ech A ameliorates the physiological deterioration by its antioxidant effect which plays a protective role against cell death, subsequent to post cerebral ischemic stroke.

**Keywords:** echinochrome A; brain ischemic stroke; cell survival
