A novel flavone, penimethavone A (1), possessing a rare unique methyl group at ring-B, was isolated from the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum cultured from a gorgonian Carijoa sp. collected from the South China Sea. The structure was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with related known compound. Compound 1 showed selective and moderate cytotoxicity against cervical cancer (HeLa) and rhabdomyosarcoma cell lines with IC50 values of 8.41 and 8.18 μM, respectively.
Keywords: Penicillium chrysogenum; cytotoxicity; flavone; gorgonian Carijoa sp.