For example, a single dose of estradiol administered immediately after reperfusion (acute estradiol) ameliorates global ischemia-induced neuronal death and cognitive deficits (Jover-Mengual et al., 2010 and Gulinello et al., 2006). Moreover, a single injection of 17 β-estradiol administered to ovariectomized rats 2–4 day before ischemia also protects hippocampal neurons against ischemic damage via activation of CREB (Raval et al., 2009). At physiological concentrations it intervenes in apoptotic death cascades and ameliorates neuronal death in experimental models of focal and global ischemia (Brown et al., 2009 and Gill

et al., 2002; Lebesgue et al., 2009). The cellular targets that mediate estradiol protection of hippocampal neurons in global ischemia are, MI-773 however, unclear (Miller et al., 2005, Etgen et al., 2010, Strom et al., 2009, Brown et al., 2009, LGK-974 nmr Suzuki et al., 2009, Yang et al., 2003, Barrera-Ocampo et al., 2008 and Alonso de Leciñana and Egido, 2006). Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like molecules found in many plants. They have the ability to selectively bind classical estrogen receptors (ERs) to regulate gene expression mediated by estrogen

response elements (Zhao et al., 2002). Phytoestrogens have been investigated intensively in recent years because of their potential protective effects against many diseases (Lephart et al., 2000). They not only bind to ERs but also exert potent antioxidant activity. It is increasingly clear that physiologically attainable doses of isoflavones, which can behave as phytoestrogens, may mimic some of the neuroprotective effects of estrogens. Some phytoestrogens exhibit some estrogen agonist-like properties (Stahl et al., 1998 and Mäkelä et al., 1995). Zhao et al., 2002 reported a significant reduction in glutamate-induced lactate dehydrogenase release and subsequently neuroprotection by phytoestrogens such as genistein, daidzein, daidzin, equol and formonoetin in cultured hippocampal neurons.

A high soy diet reduces stroke injury clonidine in female and male rats, and the soy isoflavone genistein is neuroprotective in a mouse cerebral ischemia model (Donzelli et al., 2010). Moreover, dietary intake of phytoestrogens can improve outcomes after focal (Lovekamp-Swan et al., 2007 and Burguete et al., 2006) and global ischemia in rats (Liang et al., 2008). However, the mechanisms underlying protection from ischemic injury remain unclear (Schreihofer and Redmond, 2009). Among the hundreds of molecules that fall under this classification, the coumestan phytoestrogen coumestrol (derived from sprouting plants like alfalfa), has gained prominence because it is the most potent isoflavonoid, with binding affinities for both ER-α and ER-β that are comparable to those of 17 β-estradiol (Whitten et al., 2002).