We investigated the preventive effects of barley shochu lees against fatty livers in rats induced byorotic acid.A remarkable accumulation of fat in the liver and a decline in serum lipids were observed in rats fed a diet containing 1% orotic acid.In rats fed an orotic acid-containing diet with dried barley shochu lees, the induction of a fatty liver was inhibited and the decline in serum lipids was also improved.The positive effect of barley shochu lees against the disturbance of the lipid metabolism was in proportion to the amount of barley shochu lees added to the diet.In particular, the lipid metabolism was completely recovered by adding 10% dried barley shochu lees.Results suggest that substances to prevent the disturbance of the lipid metabolism induced by orotic acid are contained in barley shochu lees.