Amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced oxidative stress is a major pathologic hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Cyan-idin, a natural lfavonoid compound, is neuroprotective against oxidative damage-mediated degeneration. However, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of cyanidin pretreat-ment against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, and explored the underlying mechanisms. Cyanidin pretreatment signiifcantly attenuated Aβ-induced cell mortality and morphological changes in PC12 cells. Mechanistically, cyanidin effectively blocked apoptosis induced by Aβ, by restoring the mitochondrial mem-brane potentialvia upregulation of Bcl-2 protein expression. Moreover, cyanidin markedly protected PC12 cells from Aβ-induced DNA damage by blocking reactive oxide species and superoxide accumulation. These results provide evidence that cyanidin suppresses Aβ-induced cytotoxicity, by preventing oxidative damage mediated by reactive oxide species, which in t inhibits mitochondrial apoptosis. Our study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of cyanidin in the prevention of oxidative stress-mediated Aβ neurotoxicity.