This study was conducted to investigate the effect of water-soluble extract from roasted chicory on the lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The experimental groups were divided into three groups ; the normal group, the cholesterol group and the chicory group. Roasted chicory extract was supplemented at 5.0% (w/w) level in the cholesterol diet. Concentration of total cholesterol in serum was significantly higher in the cholesterol group than in the normal group, but this increase in the cholesterol group was significantly decreased by the cholesterol diet supplemented with chicory extract. Concentration of HDL-cholesterol in serum was significantly lower in the cholesterol group than in the normal group, but this decrease in the cholesterol group tended to increase in the chicory group. However, concentrations of triglyceride, phospholipid and nonesterified fatty acid in serum were not significantly different among the groups. Concentrations of triglyceride and cholesterol in liver were significantly higher in the cholesterol and chicory groups than in the normal group. Feces weight and the excretion of cholesterol and bile acid into feces were significantly higher in the chicory group than in other groups. Concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in homogenates and microsomal fractions of liver were not significantly different among the groups. On the other hand, concentration of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as an useful marker of oxidative stress in urine was lower in the chicory group than in other groups. Concentration of serum glucose was signnificantly lower in the cholesterol group than in the normal group, but that of the chicory group was significantly higher than in the normal group. These results demonstrated that dietary chicory extract exerted the decreasing effect of cholesterol level and oxidative stress in cholesteral-fed rats.