Phenylpropanoid glycoside acteoside was extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Scrophularia ningpoenis Hemsl. In the present study, we investigated the effects of acteoside administration on serum uric acid levels in mice rendered hyperuricemic with the uricase inhibitor potassium oxonate. When administered orally for 3 days at doses of 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg, acteoside reduced serum uric acid levels by 15.2, 23.8 and 33.1%, respectively, relative to vehicle-treated hyperuricemic mice. Importantly, in non-hyperuricemic mice, the serum uric acid levels were not affected by acetoside treatment. Acteoside also inhibited mouse liver xanthine dehydrogenase XDH and xanthine oxidase XO activity at all three doses. These results suggest that the hypouricemic action of acteoside may be attributable to its inhibition of XDH/XO activity.