P. pinnata root has been advocated in Ayurveda for the treatment of various inflammatory and infective conditions, including ulcers. Sequential petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform, acetone and ethanolic extracts of the roots, when administered at 50 mg/kg, i.p., to rats, had antiinflammatory and analgesic activity; pentobarbitone-induced sleep time was reduced by all except the petroleum ether extract which enhanced it. Extracts also had antiulcer effects, when administered either by the i.p. (45 min before) or oral route (45 min before or for 4 days), against restraint-stress or pylorus-ligated gastric ulcers in rats, the maximum protection being afforded by petroleum ether and ethanol extracts. The antiulcer effect was either due to a decrease in acid-pepsin secretion and augmentation of mucin secretion as observed with the ethanol extract, or, in the case of the petroleum ether extract, possibly by virtue of its antistress activity.