Abstract:Melanoidins are high molecular weight polymers produced by a series of complex chemical reactions between sugars and amino acids in the Maillard reaction. They possess various biological activities，such as antioxidant，antibacterial，hypotensive，anti-tumor，and anti-obesity effects，as well as improvement of intestinal flora，which have attracted much attention in recent years. In this paper，the extraction methods，separation and purification methods，functional activities，and related applications of melanoidins were reviewed to provide a reference for their further research and application.