Abstract: The research progress on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, as well as antitumoral activity and mechanism of liriodenine was reviewed, which is a kind of typical oxoaporphine alkaloid. Liriodenine widely distributes in many natural plants of a series of families and genera, but the content is very low. Liriodenine exhibits extensive pharmacological activities, such as antitumoral, antibacterial, antifungal and trypanocidal activities, as well as anti-alzheimer's disease. It is seen that the significant antitumoral activity should be ascribed to the hyperconjugational planar structure of oxoaporphine as parent nucleus. Moreover, the pro-phase research progress as the rise of medicinal inorganic chemistry of liriodenine was also briefly introduced based on the authors' achieved research efforts. It could provide new strategy for the expanded research and application of liriodenine.

Key words: liriodenine, phytochemistry, pharmacological activity, antitumoral mechanism, medicinal inorganic chemistry