For the purpose of utilizing tannins in the functional foods and crude drugs the xanthine oxidase inhibition of tannins isolated from Korean green tea was determined. Acetone extract from Korean green tea showed inhibitory effect against the xanthine oxidase. The galloyl tannins showed higher inhibitory activity against xanthine oxidase than the nongalloyl tannins. In terms of stereo isomers, (-)-epicatechins had higher inhibitory activity than the (+)-catechins. The synergistic activity was also observed. Tannins isolated from Korean green tea appeared to be incompetitive inhibitor against the xanthine oxidase.