The use of a microwave-assisted extraction （MAE） method for the extraction ofphlorotannins from Saccharinajaponica Aresch （S.japonica） has been evaluated with particular emphasis on the influential parameters, including the ethanol concentration, solid/liquid ratio, extraction time, extraction temperature, and microwave power. The MAE procedure was optimized using single-factor design and orthogonal array design （OAD）. The content of total phlorotannins in S. japonica was determined using a Folin-Ciocalteu （FC） assay. A maximum total phlorotannin content of 0.644 mg of phloroglucinol equivalent per gram of dry weight plant （mg PGE/g DW） was obtained using the optimized model, which included an ethanol concentration of 55%, solid/liquid ratio of 1：8, extraction time of 25 min, irradiation power of 400 W, and temperature of 60~C. Under similar conditions, the application of a conventional extraction method led to a lower phlorotarmin yield of 0.585 mg PGE/g WD. These results demonstrated that the MAE approach provided better results for the extraction ofphlorotarmins from S.japonica and was a promising technique for the extraction of phenolic compounds from S. japonica and other materials. In addition, screening tests for the inhibitory activity showed that the phlorotannin-containing extracts significantly inhibited the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells （HepG2） by inducing their apoptosis. The morphological changes that occurred during cell apoptosis were characterized using Hoechst33258 staining.
