Abstract: Objective To screen out the best reflux extraction process of total alkaloids from Carthamus tinctorius（C. tinctorius）. Methods The effects of temperature，times，solidliquid ratio，and methanol volume fraction on the extraction rate of alkaloids from C. tinctorius were investigated by a single-factor experiment with serotonin hydrochloride as reference substance and total alkaloid content of C. tinctorius as index. The extraction process of total alkaloids from C. tinctorius was optimized by an orthogonal experiment，and the verification experiment was carried out. Results The optimal process conditions were as follows：a temperature of 65 ℃ ，a liquid- to-material ratio （v/w） of 50∶1，a methanol volume fraction of 40%，and an extraction time of 60 minutes. Under optimized process conditions， the average content of total alkaloids was 35. 99 mg/g with an RSD of 0. 26%（n = 3）. Conclusion The optimal extraction process obtained in this study is simple and feasible， with reliable process parameters and good extraction results，providing an experimental basis for the further development and utilization of total alkaloids in C. tinctorius.

Key words: Carthamus tinctorius, total alkaloids, orthogonal test, extraction process