## 4 Conclusions  
This is the first paper to describe the beneficial effects of terpenoid and saponin extracts of _I. aquifolium_ on lipid metabolism in the [PERSON] rat model. The composition of the volatile fractions of the cultivars was also investigated, where the predominant constituents were the terpenoid p-cymene, \(\alpha\)-phellandrene, and the six- and seven-carbon aldehydes and alcohols. The total volatile compound content was 81.91 ug g\({}^{-1}\) for the _aquifolium_ cultivar and 93.6 mg g\({}^{-1}\) for _paraguariensis_. The terpene fractions of _I. paraguariensis_ and European cultivars were characterized by a similar profile of triterpenes (both amyrin isometries), alcohols, and terpenoid acids. The Alaska cultivar was characterized by the highest content (30.45 mg g\({}^{-1}\)). The saponin fractions of the _I. aquifolium_ species were similar to those of _I. paraguariensis_. The dominant ones in the LC-MS image were \"ilexaponins\" and \"matexaponins\" in the European species. None of the fractions tested changed the hematological parameters in Zucker rats. We confirmed the effect of the used supplementation on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. SAP and TERP decreased glucose and insulin, which may indicate mitigation of insulin resistance in a metabolic model. Increased TAS and decreased GR in the blood in both the SAP and TERP study groups indicate their antioxidant effects, and increased IL-10 in blood in both study groups and decreased ROS in the SAP group indicate their anti-inflammatory effects. The tendency toward reduced body weight was attributed to the use of the saponin fraction only. Only the terpenoid fractions enhanced the effect of lipolysis and increased the blood concentrations of HDL, LDL, and TG. Administration of saponins caused decreased (\(p<0.05\)) expression of _PPAR-\(\gamma\)_ mRNA in comparison to the control group and decreased _PPAR-\(\alpha\)_ in comparison to the SAP group. Terpenoids significantly reduced (\(p<0.05\)) LOX1 in the SAP group, indicating a reduction in oxidative stress in the aorta. The expression of _ACAT1_ in the liver, responsible for the formation of cholesterol esters, decreased statistically significantly relative to the control group, and it was correlated with blood lipid parameters. Furthermore, improved hepatic architecture was observed in both the SAP and TERP groups, with a reduction in lipids in hepatocytes associated with a higher number of peroxisomes responsible for lipid turnover. According to previous observations, TERP had a much more intensive influence on liver lipolysis than SAP. Finally, it could be concluded that saponin and terpenoid extracts of European _Ilex_ varieties could modulate lipid metabolism in the Zucker rat model and finally hepatic steatosis. The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/molecules27113376/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/molecules27113376/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/molecules27113376/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/molecules27113376/s1)). Table S1: Aroma profile of Argentine _I. paraguariensis_ and European _I. aquifolium_ and _I. meserveae_. Table S2: Profile of triterpenoids in _I. paraguariensis_ and various varieties of _I. aquifolium_ and _I. meserveae_. Table S3: Saponins detected and provisionally identified in _Ilex panguariensis_ (II.par) and _Ilex aquifolium_ (II.aq.) leaves extracts. Table S4: Fatty acid profile in leaves of _I. panguariensis_ and various varieties of _I. aquifolium_ and _I. meserveae_. Conceptualization: N.P., R.K. and A.S.; methodology: N.P., R.K., M.W., P.K., T.S. and A.S.; software: N.P., R.K. and A.S.; formal analysis: N.P., K.L., M.W., M.K., R.N., M.K.-K., I.B.-M., T.S. and K.P.-S.; investigation: N.P. ; resources: R.K. and A.S.; data curation: N.P., R.K., M.W., P.K., T.S. and A.S.; writing--original draft preparation: N.P. ; writing--review and editing: N.P., R.K. and A.S.; visualization: N.P. ; supervision: R.K., T.S., P.K. and A.S.; project administration: A.S.; funding acquisition.