Abstract:The aim of this study was to explore and compare the antioxidative activities of four plants，namely Penthorum chinense Pursh，Diaphragma juglandis Fructus，Artemisia annua L.，and Citrus aurantium L.，the extracts of which were used as test materials.The total polyphenol and flavonoid contents were determined using the Folin-Ciocaileu reagent method and aluminum trichloride colorimetry，respectively.The antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2，2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl（DPPH）free radical scavenging rate，2，2’-azinobis-（3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate）（ABTS+）free radical scavenging rate，and total antioxidant capacity.The results showed that there were significant differences in the total flavonoid and phenol contents and antioxidant activities of the four plant species.The total flavonoid content of D.juglandis Fructus extract was the highest（21.87±0.55）mg RT/g and the DPPH free radical rate and total antioxidation were the strongest，whereas the total phenol content of P.chinense Pursh extract was the highest（14.78±0.95）mg GAE/g and the ABTS+free radical scavenging rate was the strongest.The extracts of each of the four plant species exhibited a specific antioxidative capacities，and those of P.chinense Pursh and D.juglandis Fructus were significantly higher than those of A.annua L.and C.aurantium L.The antioxidant capacity was also positively correlated with the total flavonoid content.