9EVALUATION OF ANTI-ULCER ACTIVITY OF NYMPHAEA NOUCHALI IN ALBINO WISTAR RATSNymphaea nouchali a member of the Nymphaeceae family, is used in folk medicine because of its treatment in ulcer and sores. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the acute oral toxicity and anti-ulcer profile of the Petroleum Ether Extract of Nymphaea nouchali (PNN) extract in albino rats. Study on acute toxicity of extract found to be safe at the doses 2000mg/kg body weight orally as per OECD guidelines No.423. PNN at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight orally was administered to evaluate anti-ulcer activity by using Ethanol, indomethacin, pyloric ligation (PL), and cold-restraint stress induced gastric ulcer models in Albino rats. Petroleum Ether Extract of Nymphaea nouchali dose dependent inhibition in ethanol induced gastric lesions, causing 72.38% protection at 400 mg/kg, and 53.88% protection at 200 mg/kg, PNN dose dependent inhibition in indomethacin induced gastric lesions, causing 62.71% protection at 400 mg/kg and 53.37% protection at 200 mg/kg, PNN dose dependent inhibition in pylorus ligation induced gastric ulcer (PL) causing 69.85% protection at 400 mg/kg and 62.74% protection at 200 mg/kg and it also dose dependent inhibition in Cold-restraint stress induced gastric lesions, causing 64.62% protection at 400 mg/kg, and 58.16% protection at 200 mg/kg. All the results are found to be statistically significant (p≤0.05). Hence we suggest that Petroleum Ether Extract of the whole plant of Nymphaea nouchali possess anti-ulcer properties that may be due to cytoprotective mechanism. These results support the ethnomedical uses of the plant in the treatment of gastric ulcer.kpurnachander@yahoo.co.inResearch212012Nymphaea nouchali,Nymphaeceae,Anti-ulcer activityK. Purnachander,Thirupathi.GDept. of Pharmacology, Jayamukhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.,Dept. of Pharmacology, Vaagdevi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, India.