Abstract: The antioxidant activity of hydrosol from chestnut flower was investigated by determining DPPH radical scavenging ability,reducing power,hydroxyl radical scavenging ability and nitrite scavenging ability,using commercially available toilet water repellents and Vc as the controls.The results showed that when the concentration of chestnut flower hydrosol was 0.5 mg/mL,the scavenging ability of DPPH radical was the highest and scavenging rate was 80.64%,higher than that of Liu Shen (70.21%) and Long Li Qi (60.14%) toilet water and less than that of Vc (90.04%),the value of IC₅₀ was 0.25 mg/mL.When the concentrations of chestnut flower hydrosol were 0.1 mg/mL and 4 mg/mL,the scavenging rates of hydroxyl radical and nitrite were 74.03% and 84.77%,respectively,which were the highest in the same levels of all samples.The reducing power of chestnut flower hydrosol was the highest at the concentration of 1.5 mg/mL,lower than Vc and higher than commercial toilet waters.The results confirmed that chestnut flower hydrosol exhibited the excellent antioxidant ability.It provided basis for the further development and utilization of chestnut flower hydrosol.

Key words: chestnut flower, hydrosol, antioxidant ability, free radicals