OBJECTIVE： To screen antioxidant active components of Schisandra chinensis. METHODS： The orthogonal test was adopted to optimize extraction technology using DPPH free radical scavenging activity （IC50） as index and ethanol volume fraction， material-liquid ratio and extraction time as factors， and the verification test were made. The fractions （SC-0， SC-10， SC-30， SC-50， SC-70， SC-95） were made by extracting and purifying S. chinensis with macroporous resin with water and 10％， 30％， 50％， 70％ and 95％ ethanol. With IC50 and total antioxidant capacity （determined by ABTS method） as indexes （vitamin C as positive control）， the antioxidant active components of S. chinensis were optimized. The contents of 5 kinds of lignan in different positions of S. chinensis were determined by HPLC. RESULTS： The optimal extraction condition of S. chinensis was as follows as 60％ ethanol， material-liquid ratio of 1 ∶ 14， extracting for 2.0 h. The average IC50 of DPPH free radical scavenging activity was 23.81 mg/ml （RSD＝0.52％， n＝3） in verification test. SC-0 did not have antioxidant abilities. DPPH free radical scavenging activity of those components （ie. the IC50 value from low to high） were in the following order of positive control＞SC-50＞SC-30＞SC-95＞SC-70＞SC-10； total antioxidant ability of them were in the following order of SC-50＞positive control＞SC-30＞SC-70＞SC-95＞SC-10； the contents of 5 types of lignan in different components were in the following order of SC-70＞SC-50＞SC-95＞SC-30. CONCLUSIONS： The antioxidant active component of S. chinensis is 50％ ethanol eluate.