The present study was undertaken to develop compounds for xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. The issue is the desirability of developing novel xanthine oxidase inhibitors for the clinical use in gout and related inflammatory diseases. The results of this study clearly demonstrated the in silico and in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the flavonoids and related poly phenolic compounds, and suggests that these compounds, or their derivatives, may be useful leads in the development of clinically useful xanthine oxidase inhibitors. This in silico studies is actually an added advantage to screen the xanthine oxidase inhibition. The nature of this inhibition, particularly the stronger effect of quercetin, catechin, kaempferol and luteolin than the standard allopurinol, is interesting and merits further characterization. Further investigations on the above compounds and in vivo studies are necessary to develop potential chemical entities for clinical use in the prevention and treatment of gout and related inflammatory disorders.