This study aimed to investigate the effects of probiotic fermentation by comparing the skin antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of non-fermented (ARE) and fermented (ARE-F) hot water extracts of Agastache rugosa leaves. ARE-F was obtained via ARE fermentation using Lactobacillus rhamnosus HK-9. In vitro, anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated by analyzing the levels of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated HaCaT keratinocytes. In vitro antiradical activity was measured using 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Attenuation of LPS-stimulated NO (p < 0.01), ROS (p < 0.001) and iNOS (p < 0.05) levels by ARE-F was significantly stronger than that by ARE in HaCaT keratinocytes. However, no differences were observed between the DPPH radical scavenging activities of ARE and ARE-F. ARE-F possesses enhanced skin antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that probiotic bacterial fermentation can be considered an effective tool for augmenting some pharmacological properties of A. rugosa leaves. In brief, the skin antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potentials of A. rugosa leaf extract are augmented by the fermentation with L. rhamnosus HK-9, a probiotic bacterium.

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