Male mice (ddY strain) were fed a laboratory chow diet containing the water extract from stem bark of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) for 14 days. There were no significant difference in body weight gain, feed intake, the hepatic lipid profile and serum total cholesterol and phodpholipid concentrations. The concentration of triglyceride in serum was significantly lower in the RVS group than that in the control group. The concentration of high-density-lipoprotein cholestrol in serum was significantly higher in the RVS group than that in the control group. The methanol extract from RVS stem bark effectively inhibited the formation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances as a marker of lipid peroxidation of liver microsomes in a concentration-dependent manner. This study showed that the water extract from stem bark of RVS decreased the serum triglyceride concentration and methanol extract has an antioxidative activity.