ABSTRACT
The flavonoids are the active ingredients of many Chinese materia medica, with widespread biological activities and a wide range of clinical application. There are many types of flavonoids, and its chemical structure is complex. Quantitative analysis of only one or several valid / indexed components may not necessarily reflect the amount of total flavonoids, with some limitations. The content determination of total flavonoids in effective parts of Chinese materia medica is an important aspect of quality control. The main methods for determining total flavonoid content are as follows: UV-visible spectropho-tometry, fluorescence spectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, thin layer chromatography, as well as near-infrared spectroscopy and so on. In this article, the methods and characteristics in the determination of total flavonoids in Chinese materia medica were reviewed, so as to provide references for the quality control of Chinese materia medica.