Oxidative stress mediates the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Gartanin, a natural xanthone of mangosteen, possesses multipharmacological activities. Herein, the neuroprotection capacity of gartanin against glutamate-induced damage in HT22 cells and its possible mechanism(s) were investigated for the first time. Glutamate resulted in cell death in a dose-dependent manner and supplementation of 1-10 A mu M gartanin prevented the detrimental effects of glutamate on cell survival. Additional investigations on the underlying mechanisms suggested that gartanin could effectively reduce glutamate-induced intracellular ROS generation and mitochondrial depolarization. We further found that gartanin induced HO-1 expression independent of nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2). Subsequent studies revealed that the inhibitory effects of gartanin on glutamate-induced apoptosis were partially blocked by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of HO-1. Finally, the protein expression of phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream signal molecules, Sirtuin activator (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha), increased after gartanin treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest gartanin is a potential neuroprotective agent against glutamate-induced oxidative injury partially through increasing Nrf-2-independed HO-1 and AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1 alpha signaling pathways.