CYCS and ischemia: Research on a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury model in male Sprague Dawley rats shows that M. charantia polysaccharides have neuroprotective effects against global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by scavenging radicals (O2-, NO and ONOO-) and reduces neural cell death in vitro; it also inhibits the release of cytochrome C, phosphorylation of JNK3 and expression of Fas-L in both pre-ischemia and post-ischemia treatment [141].