In the present study, we found that FMJ can ameliorate the spatial memory impairment through apoptotic signaling pathway, which could increase the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulate the expression of Bax and caspase-3 in the hippocampus of rats with Aβ1–40-induced Alzheimer's disease. The gene discussed is BAX; the disease is early-onset autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease.