This study was designed to examine the composition and in vitro antioxidant activity of the essential oil of Schisandra chinensis fruits. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to determine the composition of the essential oil. Forty components were identified, representing 90.80% of the oil; ylangene (37.72%), β-himachalene (10.46%) and α-bergamotene (8.57%) were the main components. Antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties were evaluated by means of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and β-carotene bleaching assay. In the DPPH assay, IC(50) value of the S. chinensis essential oil was determined as 4.17 mg mL(-1). In the β-carotene bleaching assay, the essential oil (1.0 mg mL(-1)) exhibited 25.89% inhibition against linoleic acid oxidation. In both systems, antioxidant capacity of butylated hydroxytoluene was also determined in parallel experiments.