Abstract: A natural plant essential oil was extracted from Zingiber corallinum Hance as a common herb for Miao ethnic minority in Guizhou by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was evaluated by comparing changes in the peroxide value (POV) of concentrated fish oil during storage at 60－65 ℃ in the respective presence of the essential oil, vitamin E (VE) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Forty-four compounds were identified in the essential oil by GC-MS, including 13 monoterpenoids (25.12%), 16 oxygen-containing monoterpenoids (26.43%), 9 sesquiterpenes (8.82%) and 6 oxygen-containing sesquiterpenes, benzene derivatives or others (39.63%). The essential oil as a natural antioxidant was superior to VE and BHT. The fish oil can be protected effectively by adding 0.3% essential oil.

Key words: essential oil from Zingiber corallinum Hance, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, concentrated fish oil, VE, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), antioxidant