The present invention belongs to the field of pharmaceuticals and chemical industry, and discloses preparation of a quinoline-based derivative based on topoisomerase I inhibition, and uses of the quinoline-based derivative as an anti-inflammatory drug, wherein the structural formula of the quinoline-based derivative is represented by a formula (I), R1 is hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, methoxy, methyl, trifluoromethyl, nitro and nitrile, R2 and R3 respectively are hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, methoxy, methyl, trifluoromethyl, nitro and nitrile, R4 is carboxyl, methyl, phenyl, cyano and hydrogen, n is 0, 1, 2 and 3, and X is CH or N. According to the present invention, the quinoline-based derivative can remarkably inhibit the activity of human DNA topoisomerase I, provides significant inhibition effects in inflammations, and has broad application space in the preparation of anti-inflammatory drugs. The formula (I) is defined in the specification.