Abstract: To clarify the effect mechanism of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata extract on the texture of duck meat, the effect of farnesol, the main component of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata extract, on the structure of myofibrillar protein was analyzed. The elasticity and hardness of duck meat in different treatment groups were determined. The flavor differences of duck meat in different treatment groups were detected using the electronic nose technique. The effects of farnesol on the structure of myofibrillar protein (MP) were analyzed, including carbonyl content, surface hydrophobicity, sulfhydryl content, and di-tyrosine fluorescence intensity. The results showed that the Alpinia katsumadai Hayata extracts significantly reduced the hardness by 54.61% compared with solid Alpinia katsumadai Hayata (P<0.05). And there was no significant difference in the flavor of duck meat between these two groups. Farnesol significantly decreased the content of MP carbonyl by 73.16% (P<0.05), decreased the surface hydrophobicity by 30.35% (P<0.05), and increased the content of sulfhydryl group by 84.24% (P<0.05). In addition, the addition of farnesol reduced the fluorescence intensity of MP distyrosine by 17.37%. In conclusion, the Alpinia katsumadai Hayata extract can significantly decrease the hardness of duck meat, mainly due to the interaction of farnesol with MP to stabilize its structure and exert a certain antioxidant effect. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the application of Alpinia katsumadai Hayata extracts in standardized marination.