An antiproliferative bis-prenylated quinone from the New Zealand brown alga Perithalia capillaris

Bioactivity-directed isolation work on the endemic New Zealand brown alga Perithalia capillaris, seeking anti-inflammatory compounds, led to a new bis-prenylated quinone (4). This compound inhibited superoxide production by human neutrophils in vitro (IC50 2.1 mu M), but was more potent at inhibiting proliferation of HL60 cells (IC50 0.34 mu M). Two related bis-prenylated phenols were also isolated, one known (2) and one new (5), with weaker biological activities. This report extends the examples of bis-prenylated phenols as chemotaxonomic markers for brown algae of the order Sporochnales.