The effect of dietary pectin, tangerine pulp meal, propionate, lactate or fumarate on cholesterol (C) and triacylglycerol(TG) levels in the serum and liver, and the effect of pectin on dietary C absorption were studied in a series of three experiments. Mature female Sprague Dawley rats were fed a control diet or diets containing 5% pectin, 5% tangerine pulp meal, 3% propionate, 3% lactate 3% fumarate, or 10% pectin. Serum total C levels were lower(p<0.05) in rats fed the diet containing 5% pectin than in control rats after a 4-week feeding period(93.8 vs 119.2mg/100mL). Serum HDL, LDL+VLDL C levels were not different among diet groups. Liver total C level was also lower(p<0.05) in rats fed the diet containing 5% pectin than in control rats, but liver TG level was not influenced by diet. Dietary propionate, lactate or fumarate did not reduce serum C, indicating that propionate is not a regulator of serum C. However, dietary pectin(10%) increased fecal excretion of dietary C(or its metabolites) more than 70% over a control value. Our data indicate that dietary pectin reduces serum and liver C levels by increased fecal secretion of dietary C, but not by its fermentation product propionate or other gluconeogenic substrates. (Korean J Nutrition 31(5) : 914∼920, 1998)