New alkylated benzoquinones from mangrove plant Aegiceras corniculatum with anticancer activity

Three new alkylated benzoquinones, 2-hydroxy-5-ethoxy-3-nonyl-1,4-benzoquinone (1), 5-O-butyl-embelin (2), and 2,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-3-pentadecyl-1,4-benzoquinone (3), together with seven known analogues (4–10), were isolated from the stems and twigs of mangrove plant, Aegiceras corniculatum. Their structural elucidation was achieved by spectroscopic methods, chemical exchanging experiments, and semisynthesis method. The cytotoxic activities of all the isolated compounds were evaluated by MTT assay. Compounds 1, 2, 8, 9, and 10 possess varying degrees of selective cytotoxicity against HL-60, HepG2, BGC-823, and A2780 cell lines.