When normal and alloxan-induced diabetic guineapigs were given whole seed diet of Phaseolus mungo (black gram) for 4 wk, the blood glucose, serum total lipids, triglycerides and esterified fraction of cholesterol were significantly lowered, while serum phospholipid was unaltered. Total cholesterol/phospholipid ratio also decreased in normal as well as diabetic animals indicating the antiatherogenic nature of P. mungo.