To study the effects of substances in paeonia seeds (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) on lipid metabolism, crude methanol extract and secondary ether-soluble fraction out of defatted methanol extract and trans-resveratrol were prepared from the seeds and added to 0.5% (w/w) cholesterol diets for rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 120$pm$11 g were divided into six experimental groups: control group with no extra supplement, 0.1% (MP1) and 0.2% methanol extract (MP2) supplemented groups, 0.05% (EP1) and 0.1% ether-soluble fraction (EP2) supplemented groups and 0.02% resveratrol supplemented group. Experimental diets were fed ad libitum to the rats for 3 weeks. Body weight gains and food efficiencies were not different among the six experimental groups. Relative liver weights were lower in EP2 group compared to those in control group, but serum GOT and GPT levels of paeonia seed groups including trans-resveratrol group were not different from those of the control group. Serum total cholesterol levels reduced in EP2 and resveratrol groups but HDL-/total cholesterol ratios significantly increased in the four paeonia groups except EP1 group compared with the control group and serum triglyceride level lowered only in EP2 group than that of the control. However, liver cholesterol levels lowered in the five paeonia groups but triglyceride level lowered in MP2, EP1, EP2 groups than that of the control group. Fecal cholesterol excretion significantly increased in MP2, EP1, and EP2 groups than that of the control group, but bile acid excretions were not changed except that a reduction in EP2 group. These results suggest that paeonia seeds contain substances improving serum lipid status mostly via HDL pathway and resveratrol as monomer is one of the effective components but others including resveratrol oligmer are involved in the lipid improving effect.