Abstract: The effects of different aqueous extracts of herbs on biomass,the yield of exopolysaccharide and intracellular polysaccharide as well as its antioxidant activities were studied by the means of adding these water extracts to culture medium of P. cicadae in submerged fermentation process. Results showed that the positive effects of aqueous extracts of Astragalus membranaceus,Coix lachryma- jobi,Lycium barbarum on biomass,the synthesis of exopolysaccharide and intracellular polysaccharide separately were the most remarkable ones( p < 0.05),which increased by 135.82%,48.90%,137.18% compared to the control,respectively.While the aqueous extracts of Flos Lonicerae and Crataegus pinnatifida were not beneficial to fermentation of P. cicadae. It was indicated that the activities of metabolites were improved significantly by the aqueous extract of Lycium barbarum,the scavenging ability of DPPH radical of exopolysaccharide and intracellular polysaccharide were 1.17 folds and1.38 folds of those of the control,respectively.Synthesizes these results,aqueous extract of Lycium barbarum was selected as the optimum herb ingredient for submerged fermentation of P.cicadae,and its proposed dosage was10 g / L.