EtOH-soluble fraction from leaves of Laurus nobilis (bay leaves) possessed the highest alkyl peroxy radical (ROO⋅) scavenging activity among 120 kinds of herbs and edible plants, using the bioassay system which could determine the viability of Staphylococcus aureus 209p by ROO⋅ cytotoxicity. After EtOH-soluble fraction was partitioned with chloroform, ethylacetate, n-butanol and water, the ethylacetate-soluble fraction (L-EA) possessing the highest scavenging activity was further fractionated by Silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC analysis on μ-Bondapak C₁₈ reverse phase, and a major flavonol (L-EA-IIa-3-H2) in leaves of L. nobilis was isolated. According to the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra, L-EA-IIa-3-H2 was thought to be 3, 5, 7, 3′-OH or 3(5), 7, 3′, 4′-OH flavonol. After acid hydrolysis of the fraction, L-EA-IIa-3-H2 was found to consist of quercetin and glucose, and was confirmed by one- or two-dimensional (1D or 2D)-NMR to be isoquercitrin. In addition, the ROO⋅ scavenging activity of L-EA-IIa-3-H2 was supported by ESR and its activity was found to be comparable to that of other well-known antioxidants such as epigallocatechin and resveratrol, and higher than that of butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and ascorbic acid.