18Flavonoids with wide bioactivity for medcine are vital secondary metabolite of plant. The factors 19 influenced on flavonoids had been reported. However, as the key processes lead to metabolite 20 alterations, the influences of the different pretreatments of samples on flavonoids and antioxidant 21 activity of ferns were with little information. Therefore, Dryopteris erythrosora leaves were chosen 22 as the materials for analyzing flavonoids alterations, which would not only provide the significant 23 basic data for flavonoid metabolism of fern, but also for further developing fern resources. The 2 24 results showed that a) The total flavonoids contents of D. erythrosora leaves with different 25 pretreatments were obviously different. The total flavonoid contents of samples, which was dried in 26 shade firstly and then dried at 75 °C in oven, finally smashed, was the highest (7.6%), but that of 27 samples, which was quickly dried at 75 °C in oven directly after cleaning and then smashed, was the 28 lowest (2.17%); b) Antioxidant activities of D. erythrosora leaves with different pretreatments were 29 variant. Samples, which were dried in shade firstly and then dried at 75 °C in oven, finally smashed 30 and samples which were firstly dried in the sun and then dried at 75 °C in oven, ultimately smashed, 31 both showed stronger antioxidant activity; c) Total twenty-three flavonoids with four different 32 pretreatments were tentatively identified by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS. In conlusion, a) The influences of 33 different pretreatments on flavonoids and antioxidant activity of D. erythrosora Leaves were 34 obvious. b) The best pretreatment in respect to conserving fern medical application was drying in 35 shade firstly and then drying at 75 °C in oven, finally smashed. 36