Abstract: The development history of citrinin was reviewed, the physicochemical properties and toxicity of citrinin were briefly described, and the toxic mechanism and the target of citrinin were analyzed. The derivatives of citrinin were reviewed, and its biological activity and mechanism of action were analyzed. The synthesis process of citrinin derivatives was briefly described. It is concluded that citrinin acts by interfering with important media and signaling pathways in cells, and the derivatives obtained by structural modification can effectively reduce toxicity without affecting biological activity. Subsequent studies may consider continuing to modify the structure of citrinin or studying nano-drug delivery technology to deliver the drug directly to the affected area, avoiding the loss of drug metabolic activity and reducing the impact of the drug on normal cells.

Key words: citrinin, toxicological mechanism, antitumor, antibiosis, neuroprotection