The present study examined the effects of Schizandra chinensis extract on the serum lipid composition and the antioxidant of rats in which obesity was induced through high fat diet. Fifty male Sprague-Dawely rats weighing 163.91±4.17g on the average were adjusted to basic diet and laboratory environment and were fed with high fat diet freely for 6 weeks to induce obesity. Forty rats, the final weight of which was 400g, were selected and were divided into a control group(C), treated groups(T I ; body weight of 100mg/kg, TII ; 150mg/kg and TIII ; 200mg/kg), 10 heads of similar weight for each, and test breeding was performed for 4 weeks. During the test breeding, all treated groups were fed with basic diet and difference in intake among the treated groups were maintained to be less than 5%. According to the result, the quantity of Triglyceride in serum was lower in all of the groups treated with Schizandra chinensis than the control group, but the difference was not significant except the treated group of 200mg (P〉0.05). The quantity of Total cholesterol in serum was significantly lower in all the groups treated with Schizandra chinensis than in the control group (P〈0.05) but differences according to the quantity of Schizandra chinensis applied were not observed. The quantity of HDL-cholesterol was not significantly different among all the groups including the control group (P〈0.05) and no regular tendency of change in the quantity was observed according to the quantity of Schizandra chinensis applied. The quantity of LDL-cholesterol was lower in all the groups treated with Schizandra chinensis, but the treated group of 100mg was not significantly different from the control group. The quantity of TBARS in serum was lower in all the groups treated with Schizandra chinensis than in the control group (P〈0.05), but no regular tendency of change in the quantity was observed according to the quantity of Schizandra chinensis applied. The quantity of liver TBARS was not significantly different among all the treated groups (P〉0.05). The levels of glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) and catalase activity were higher in all the groups treated with Schizandra chinensis treated group than in the control group (P〈0.05), and the treated group of 200mg showed the highest activity among the treated groups.

• Sang-Cheol Lim
• Eun Lee