. Activation of Nrf2 signalinginduces the transcriptional regulation of multiple ARE-dependent antioxidant defense genes. Here, weshowed that cardamonin (CD), a chalcone isolated from Alpinia katsumadai, attenuated cell deathinduced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in PC12 cells. Pretreatment ofPC12 cells with CD dose-dependently upregulated the expression of phase II antioxidant molecules governed by Nrf2. In contrast, CD failed to provide neuroprotection after silencing Nrf2 expression, indicatingthat this cytoprotection may be mediated by the activation of transcription factor Nrf2. Our resultsdemonstrate that CD is a novel small molecule activator of Nrf2 in PC12 cells, and suggest that CD maybe a potential candidate for the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative disorders.