Portulaca oleracea L. is known to have many biological benefits such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and anti-tumor. The objective of this study is to explore the neuroprotective effect of P. oleracea L. against glutamate-induced oxidative stress in mouse hippocampal HT22 cells. P. oleracea L. 70% ethanol extract and solvent fractions have the potent neroprotective effects on glutamate-induced nerotoxicity by induced the expression of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 in HT22 cells. Especially, ethyl acetate fraction showed higher protective effect. In HT22 cell, P. oleracea L. treatment with ERK inhibitor (PD98059) and c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor (SP600125) reduced P. oleracea L. ethyl acetate fraction induced HO-1 expression and P. oleracea L. ethyl acetate fraction also increased ERK and JNK phosphorylation. Furthermore, we found that treatment of P. oleracea L. caused the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. In conclusion, the ethyl acetate fraction of 70% ethanol extract of P. oleracea L. significantly protect glutamate-induced oxidative damage by induction of HO-1 via Nrf2, ERK and JNK pathway in mouse hippocampal HT22. Taken together these finding suggest that P. oleracea L. ethyl acetate fraction is good source for taking active compounds and may be a potential therapeutic agent for brain disorder that induced by oxidative stress and neuronal damage.