OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects and mechanism of total flavonoids from Armeniaca mume on depression in chronic stress depression model rats. METHODS： 60 rats were randomly divided into normal saline group， model group， fluoxetine group （positive control， 20 mg/kg） and total flavonoids from A. mume low-dose， medium-dose， high-dose groups （80， 160， 240 mg/kg）， 10 in each group. Except for normal saline group， the other groups adopted chronic unpredictable mild stress （CUMS）+solitary feeding condition to induce depression model. These groups were intragastrically administered， once a day， for 28 d. Changes of body mass and food intake， degree of preference for sugar were observed； forced swimming test and tail suspension test were used to determine the time that rats did not move； open field test was used to determine the changes of residence time in central square， horizontal crossing lattice， standing times， modification times； tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， cortisol， interleukin 6 （IL-6）， serotonin （5-HT） levels in serum after 24 h of last administration were determined. RESULTS： Compared with normal saline group， growth of body mass， food intake and sugar preference percentage in model group were decreased； the time that rats did not move was prolonged in forced swimming test and tail suspension test； residence time in central square was prolonged， while horizontal crossing lattice， standing times and modification times were decreased in open field test； serum levels of TNF-α， cortisol were increased， while IL-6， 5-HT were decreased， with statistical significances （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with model group， except that there were no obvious improvement in sugar preference percentage， the time that rats did not move in forced swimming test， modification times in open field test in total flavonoids from A. mume low-dose group and IL-6， 5-HT levels in serum in total flavonoids from A. mume low-dose， medium-dose groups， the above-mentioned indexes were obviously improved in other groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS： Total flavonoids from A. mume can obviously improve the CUMS-induced depression in rats， and the mechanism may be related to inhibiting inflammation response， adjusting the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis functions.