The contents of total polyphenols and flavonoids and their influence on the antioxidant activity of 12 alpine plants sampled from Qilianshan Mountains were investigated.The determining was focused on the shoots and leaf of the targeted plants by using methods of The Folin-Ciocalteu method and aluminum salt colour reaction.The total antioxidant capacity was estimated by ABTS and FRAP methods.The results showed that Potentilla fruticosa,Salix oritrepha,Spiraea alpina,Hippophae thibetana and Polygonum viviparum had high levels of total polyphenols,flavonoids and antioxidant capacity.The highest total polyphenols content was found in the S.oritrepha,it was as high as 19.58%.The total flavonoids content of S.alpina was the highest,up to 13.23%.While the H.thibetana showed a strongest antioxidant capacity of 49.58 mmol/L(FeSO₄) by FRAP measurement,but P.fruticosa had the strongest antioxidant capacity for 32.46 mmol/L(Trolox) by ABTS determination.Total polyphenols,flavonoids and total antioxidant capacity in the FRAP method had extremely significant correlation;the relative coefficient reached a value of 0.887 1 and 0.915 7,respectively.The analysis about 12 alpine plants showed that the higher total polyphenols and flavonoids,the stronger total antioxidant capacity.