Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai (C. speciosa, Rosaceae family) is an effective medicinal plant, which has long been used in China to treat various diseases, such as rheumatism, cholera, dysentery, enteritis, beriberi and vitamin C deficiency syndrome. A series of chemical constituents, including triterpenoid, phenolic and phenylpropionic acids, flavonoids, saccharides, essential oils and alkaloids, have been isolated from this plant and some have already been evaluated for their biological activities. Pharmacological investigations demonstrated that C. speciosa possesses anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antimicrobial, antioxidant, immunoregulatory, antiparkinsonian, hepatoprotective and antitumor properties. Chaenomeles speciosa is a thorny deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub native to eastern Asia. It is taller than another commonly cultivated species, C. japonica, usually growing to about 2 m (6 ft 7 in).