Crude tannins were extracted from pea seed coat using water, 70% aqueous methanol and 70% aqueous acetone. The dried acetone extract contained the highest amounts of polyphenols (640 mg/g) compared with water extract and methanol extract. Acetone extract exhibited also strong antioxidant activity in a chemical system using the phosphatidylcholine (PC) liposome as an experimental model. Subsequently the effects of dietary acetone extract on the lipid indices and lipid peroxidation products in growing rats fed free-cholesterol standard diet (S) or diets enriched with 1% cholesterol (C) were determined. All animals were divided into 3 groups (10 rats each) and were fed during 4 weeks with experimental diets: group (Gr) 1 -standard diet (S), Gr 2 - with 1% C (S+1%C) and Gr 3 - S+1%C+0.5% acetone extract (E). Dietary E significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) but did not change the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in rats fed diets enriched in cholesterol. Plasma TC were 112.9, 144.6, 113.5 mg/100ml, whereas LDL-C 32.9, 74.0, 47.6 mg/100 ml in groups 1 - 3, respectively. E (0.5%) with C (S+1%C+0.5%E) caused significant TC accumulation in the liver and elevated malondialdehyde concentrations in plasma. This study demonstrates that acetone extract from seed coat of pea possesses strong hypocholesterolemic action. Its antioxidative properties in biological system, especially in animals loaded with dietary cholesterol, are less clear and need further studies.