The oil fraction of the volatile components from Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth was obtained through hydrodistillation,and ether was used as solvent to extract the water-soluble fraction of the volatile components from the distilled waste liquid.The volatile components from P.cablin were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).The major constituents in the oil fraction were patchouli alcohol (34.72%),pogostone (12.02%),δ-guaiene (7.53%),and seychellene (6.69%).There were no terpenes in the water-soluble fraction in which pogostone (21.89%) was the principal constituents with the highest content.The antioxidant activity of the volatile components was tested by DPPH· scavenging method and ABTS⁺· scavenging method.The results showed that the water-soluble fraction of the volatile components from P. cablin possessed higher scavenging activities on DPPH· and ABTS free radicals than the oil fraction.The IC₅₀ values scavenging on DPPH· of water-soluble fraction and oil fraction were 0.187 0 and 6.489 9 mg/mL,the IC₅₀ scavenging on ABTS+· were 4.662×10^-2 and 0.998 5 mg/mL,respectively.