Abstract: Quinoxaline 1,4-di-N-oxide type antibacterial and growth promoting agents, including olaquindox, carbadox, mequindox, quinocetone, cyadox, are widely used in livestock production and disease control. Because of their toxicity, carbadox and olaquindox had been prohibited or restricted in the market. China has successively approved the use of mequindox and quinocetone, and now is developing safer similar products such as cyadox. The toxicity of this kind of agents was reviewed in this article, including short- and long-term toxicity, genotoxicity, and photoallergic toxicity. It will provide references to evaluate safety, guide rational use and avoid the harm of these agents.