Abstract: Tetrahydroanthraquinone,mostly found in microorganisms and a small found in plant,is a kind of important microbial secondary metabolites,with cytotoxic activity,antibacterial activity and antimalarial activity.In this paper,the structure and biological activity of tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds are reviewed,included 54 tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds,of which there are 45 tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds from microorganisms and 9 tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds from the root of Prismatomeris connate.Among them,altersolanol A has the good antitumor activity and is a highly attractive anticancer precursor compound.The review of the tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds provides the basis for the further research and development of tetrahydroanthraquinone compounds.

Key words: tetrahydroanthraquinone, cytotoxic activity, antibacterial activity, antimalarial activity, research progress