The effects of plant constituents on lipid metabolism were examined in swine that had been fed for 4 weeks a standard diet containing, in addition, (per kg diet) 3.15 g of the methanol serial solvent fraction garlic bulbs or 3.5 g of the petroleum ether solubles high-protein barley flour or 5 mg of the plant growth regulator, AMO 1618. All treatments suppressed 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase and cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activities. Modest increases in serum triglycerides were associated with significantly increased hepatic lipogenic activities in response to all treatments except that of the barley extract. The methanol solubles of a second lot of garlic were fractionated by HPLC and tested in an avian hepatocyte system. One component, an isoprenoid metabolite, MW 358, suppressed HMG-CoA reductase.