The purpose of this research related to the development of natural preservatives, in which licorice and spices (clove, fennel fruit and Chungyang green pepper) were extracted with distilled water, and the extracts were tested for their antibacterial and antioxidative activities. The polyphenol contents of the water extracts from licorice, clove, fennel fruit and Chungyang green pepper were 17.4, 21.4, 6.6, and 0.9 mg/g, respectively. The water extracts from licorice and clove demonstrated antibacterial activity against S. aureus. The electron donating abilities (EDA) of the water extracts from the licorice and other spices ranged from 60 to 88% at 1,000 ppm; the highest value was for the licorice followed by fennel fruit, clove, and green pepper. The xanthine oxidase inhibition ratio (XOD) of the extracts ranged from 28 to 50% at 1,000 ppm, where the highest value occured in the cloves, followed by fennel fruit, green pepper, and licorice. The superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity ranged from 33 to 53% at 1,000 ppm, and the highest value was for the licorice followed by cloves, fennel fruit, and green pepper. The nitrite scavenging abilities (NSA) at 1,000 ppm of the clove and fennel fruit water extracts were 95% and 65% at pH 1.2, respectively. The NSAs of the extracts were highest at pH 1.2, and decreased with increasing pH. Considering all the obtained results, we have concluded that licorice and spice extracts can be used as natural preservatives in the development of health foods.