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Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai is a deciduous shrub that belongs to Oleaceae Abeliophyllum and grows only in Korea. In this study, the antioxidative activity, cytotoxicity, anti-aging activity, and levels of acteoside and isoacteoside were compared between non-fermented and fermented (using Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis) extracts of A. distichum Nakai. The cytotoxicity of these extracts, along with their ability to inhibit elastase activity and Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) expression, and their ability to promote type I procollagen synthesis were investigated in human dermal fibroblasts cells. These tests revealed that the fermented extract possessed higher antioxidant and anti-aging activities compared with the non-fermented extract. The levels of acteoside and isoacteoside were about 1.25 and 1.05 times higher in the fermented extract than in the non-fermented extract. It was speculated that they were converted from acteoside glucosides and isoacteoside glucosides via bioconversion by the fermentation strains. Together, these findings indicate that extracts of A. distichum Nakai show good potential as antioxidative and anti-aging cosmetic materials. Key words: Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus brevis, fermentation, antioxidative activity, anti-aging activity.

The antioxidant, cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects of fermented and non-fermented extracts of ‘the Korean shrub’ Dendropanax morbifera and sweet potato were compared to assess the potential utility of these species in the development of health-oriented food. Non-fermented extract (NFDSE) was obtained from the leaves and branches of D. morbifera and the bodies of sweet potato using distilled water. The fermented extract (FDSE) was prepared by inoculating the above-obtained extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus brevis. The extracts of the two species combined D. morbifera and sweet potato exhibited substantial antioxidant activity. Moreover, NFDSE at 24 h exerted more antioxidant effects than FDSE (72.57% vs. 71.08%, respectively) at a concentration of 100 mg/ml. Comparison of the effects of the non-fermented and fermented extracts on HaCaT keratinocyte cell viability revealed that FDSE had a slightly higher cytotoxicity than NFDSE (94.8% vs. 102.7% viability, respectively) at a concentration of 500 i­g/ml. It was further found that NFDSE and FDSE had the strongest antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Staphylococcus epidermidis (a Gram-positive coccidium). Therefore, it is obvious that extracts of D. morbifera and sweet potato represent ‘novel candidates’ for the production of functional anti-aging agents with minimal side effects. Key words: Dendropanax morbifera and sweet potato, antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial effects, health-oriented food.