Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of ginkgolide B (BN52021) on the histopathology of brain tissue after traumatic brain injury in rats. Methods Forty-eight healthy SD rats, weighing 250 g, were evenly randomized into 4 groups: sham control group, model group, low dose BN52021 group and high dose BN52021 group. Rats in the latter 3 groups were made into fluid percussion brain injury models. After operation, the rats in the low and high dose BN52021 groups were treated with BN52021 (low dose: 1 mg/kg, ip, high dose: 5 mg/kg, ip, once daily for 7 days). On the 7^th day after treatment, cerebral tissues were harvested from each group, and the histopathological changes of brain tissue were observed by Fast blue, electron microscope and immunohistochemical method. Results Compared with sham control group,model group had significantly decreased neurons (P<0.05), increased OX-42 immunoreactive microglial cells and astrocytes (P<0.05), and cells positive for caspase-3 (P<0.05). Electron microscope found chromatin aggregation, nuclear fragmentation, rounder and larger mitochondria, void formation and disappeared cristae of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum hypertelorism, increased lysosomes, and nuclear membrane folding. Compared with model group,the low and high dose BN52021 groups had significantly decreased proportions of microglial cells and astrocytes (P<0.05), significantly decreased caspase-3 positive cells (P<0.05), and improved ultrastructure, with the improvement in the high dose group being more notable than that in the low dose group. Conclusion BN52021 has protective effect on the morphology of brain tissue in rats with traumatic brain injury.