The effects of various cooking methods (blanching, microwave heating, and deep-fat frying) on biologically active components of Angelica keiskei were determined by HPLC. Cynharoside, the biologically active component of Angelica keiskei leaves was 4.82%, which was rapidly decreased by blanching, showing 3.79%, 2.59% and 1.74% at 1 min, 2min and 3min, respectively. Microwave heating also decreased the cynaroside contents slowly by 2 min and rapidly by 3min, respectively. Microwave heating also decreased the cynaroside contents slowly by 2min and rapidly by 3 min, showing 4.25% at 1 min, 3.38% at 2 min, and 1.49% at 3 min. Among the cooking methods tested, deep-fat frying was shown to preserve the cynaroside most. Only 3.90% of cynaroside was lost by 5 min frying. The decrease in cynaroside in each cooking method was supposed to be due to the conversion of cynarside, a glycoside of flavonoid, into luteolin through lysis of glucose at C-7 position on cynaroside.