The total viable counts， conductivity， whiteness， texture， water structure， total volatile basic nitrogen（TVB-N） and K value were studied in this experiment， the optimal concentration of the multiple preservative solutions during cold storage （4 ℃±1 ℃） was determined by single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment. The results showed that multiple preservative group （pepper extract 0.3%， nobilis protamine 0.3% and jerusalem artichoke extract 0.6%） had the best freshness-keeping effect compared with the control group and other treatment groups. The results showed that total viable counts， conductivity， pH and TVB-N were better than those of single preservative and blank group. Compared with the control group， the whiteness of the treatment group decreased， but the color change was not significant； texture results showed that the combination of preservative could effectively reduce the samples’ decline of hardness， resilience and other indicators. Low field nuclear magnetic resonance and water binding capacity indicated that the multiple preservative solutions could effectively prevent the conversion of combined water and immobilized water to free water. The indicators showed that the orthogonal test obtained by the best compound preservative could effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage micro-organisms， then extend the shelf life of snakeheaded fish.