Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of Chaenomeles speciosa: An Edible Medicinal Chinese Mugua

Chaenomeles plants are adapted to diverse ecological zones particularly the temperate areas of Korea, Japan, and China. In China, Chaenomeles speciosa is mainly planted in Chongqing, Anhui, and Hubei provinces. Most of the studies till date have been focused on the anti-inflammatory activities of C. speciosa fractions. The present study aimed to review the maximum literature reported for the presence of various phytochemicals in C. speciosa. In addition, the pharmacological properties of these chemical compounds of this plant shall also be discussed. The extracts of the various parts of the plant are rich in diversity of antioxidants, organic acids, phenolics, terpenoids, and many different phytochemicals that bear strong anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial properties, anti-inflammation, antihyperlipidemic, antihyperglycemic, and anti-Parkinson properties. C. speciosa fruits have broad scope in industry as well as in medicines. Not only the leaves and fruits of C. speciosa plant, but various other parts including roots, seeds, bark twigs, and flowers all have long history of clinical trials in curing many human ailments. However, the maximum accessible data concerning the chemical compositions and their broad pharmacological properties of C. speciosa plant parts is pretty restricted that make it more appealing for in-depth investigations.