Abstract: The in vitro antioxidative activities of different solvent extracts were compared by examining the decoloration of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the superoxide generated from autoxidation of pyrogallol. It is found that the antioxidative activities of n-butanol extract was most closed to ethanol extract, which means n-butanol is the best solvent to extract main functional components in ethanol extract. Then the performance of absorption and desorption for flavonoids from Semen Plantaginis with four types of macroreticular resins AB-8, D101, NKA-2, NKA-9 were determined, in order to select the better purification process of Semen Plantaginis flavonoids. The results showed that the AB-8 resin had the highest ratio of absorption and desorption and was the most suitable absorbent. The purify of flavonoids was raised from 4% to 30% after absorption and separation by this resin. It was determined by LC-MS chromatograms that the main components in the solution purified were several phenylethanoid glycosides such as Verbascoside, Isoverbascoside and Plantamajoside, an iridoid i.e. Geniposidic acid and two flavonoids i.e. Rhoifolin and Apigenin-7-O-glucoside.

Key words: Semen Plantaginis flavonoids, purification, LC-MS