A butanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica is provided to show distinctive neuroprotective effect in a cerebral ischemic animal model, thereby preventing and treating neurological brain diseases such as stroke, concussion of the brain, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease and ischemic diseases such as myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. A pharmaceutical composition for preventing neurological brain diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and cardiovascular diseases comprises a butanol extract of Opuntia ficus-indica as an effective ingredient, wherein the extract is obtained by extracting stems or fruits of the Opuntia ficus-indica with C1-4 lower alcohol solvent at a temperature of 20-90 deg.C, filtering the extract, evaporating the filtrate under reduced pressure to obtain an alcohol extract, adding water to the alcohol extract and extracting the aqueous extract with butanol. Further, the lower alcohol solvent is selected from a group consisting of anhydrous alcohol and alcohol water solution of 50% or more.본 발명은 손바닥선인장 추출물을 함유하는 약학 조성물에 관한 것으로, 더욱 상세하게는 손바닥선인장의 부탄올 추출물 또는 이 추출물의 산 가수분해물이 유효성분으로 함유되어 있음으로써 뇌신경 질환, 뇌혈관 질환 또는 심혈관 질환 보다 구체적으로는 뇌졸중, 뇌진탕, 알쯔하이머병, 파킨슨병, 뇌경색, 심근경색 등의 치료 및 예방에 유효한 약학 조성물에 관한 것이다.
