Nymphaea lotus Linn is a perennial aquatic plant used in traditional medicine system as an aphrodisiac, anodyne, astringent, cardiotonic, sedative, analgesic and as anti-inflammatory agent. The present study evaluates the phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant potential of the aqueous and acetone extracts of the plant, using spectrophotometric techniques. The quantities of phenols, tannins, saponins and steroids were significantly higher (p