Abstract:In this paper，the antibacterial activity and mechanism of flavonoids from Ginkgo biloba L.against foodborne pathogens were investigated.Macroporous resin was used to purify the flavonoid extraction from G.biloba L.，and the total flavonoid content in the purified flavonoids from G.biloba L.increased from 20.69%to 50.42%.The results of high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）analysis showed that the content of quercetin，kaempferol，and isorhamnetin was significantly increased，which was 51.77%，5.82%and 1.54%，respectively.The antibacterial effect of the purified flavonoids from G.biloba L.on Staphylococcus aureus，Escherichia coli，and Cronobacter malonaticus was better than that of the flavonoid extraction from G.biloba L.，and the minimum inhibitory concentration of the purified flavonoids from G.biloba L.against the three pathogens were 0.450，0.900 mg/mL and 0.900 mg/mL，respectively.The main mechanism was to cause oxidative damage to pathogens，destroy the structure of cell wall and cell membrane in pathogens，and improve the permeability of cell membrane to leak the content，thus achieving the antibacterial effect.In conclusion，the purified flavonoids from G.biloba L.can be used as potential preservatives and antibacterial agents.