Aim of the study Recent studies have revealed that ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) is neuroprotective for cerebral ischemia. However, the mechanism underlying of this function is unclear. We assessed whether this neuroprotective effect of GRb1 was mediated by the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), by the levels of caspase-3 proteins and by induced neurogenesis in rats following transient cerebral ischemia or not. Materials and methods Cerebral ischemia was prepared by a 2h occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion, followed by infusion of GRb1 (40mg/kg) and saline (GRb1 and ischemia groups, respectively). All rats were sacrificed at 3 and 12h, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 days after reperfusion. Normal and sham-operated rats were used in control group. Modified Neurological Severity Scores (mNSS) test and hematoxylin and eosin staining were respectively performed to evaluate neurological function and histological feature. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify intrinsic neurogenesis by nestin antibody. Western blotting was used to detect BDNF and caspase-3 protein content. Results GRb1 infusion after cerebral ischemia significantly promoted recoveries of neurological functions at 3 and 5 days after reperfusion compared to ischemic rats. The number of nestin-positive cells was apparently increased after GRb1 infusion compared to ischemia rats at given time. Moreover, BDNF was significantly increased in GRb1-treated rats compared to ischemia rats at different time points. In contrast, GRb1 infusion after the onset of reperfusion, caspase-3 at a given time was significantly reduced compared to ischemia rats, but still significantly increased compared to control rats. Conclusions Promotion of the neurogenesis and regulation of the expressions of BDNF and caspase-3 may be involved in GRb1-induced neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia.