In this study， Lactobacillus plantarum L1 and Lactobacillus fermentum L2 were selected as inoculated strains to ferment elderberry powder to make fermented juice. The changes of pH value， total acid， color difference value， anthocyanin content， total phenol and total flavone content， superoxide anion scavenging activity， total reduction capacity， and volatile flavor compounds before and after fermentation were determined. The results showed that during the fermentation period， the pH value of elderberry juice decreased but the total acid increased significantly. The L* value and a* value increased first and then decreased， and the b* value was relatively stable. The anthocyanin content decreased， but the total phenol and total flavonoids content increased. The superoxide anion scavenging rate and total reduction capacity increased by 82.07% and 55.27%， respectively. A total of 99 volatile flavor compounds were detected among the uninoculated samples and fermented juice samples before and after fermentation. The results showed that there were significant differences in flavor characteristics among three samples by principal component analysis. In conclusion， the nutritional value， antioxidant capacity and flavor quality of elderberry juice can be improved by lactic acid bacteria fermentation.