A Green Multicomponent Domino Mannich‐Michael Reaction to Synthesize Novel Naphthoquinone‐Polyphenols with Antiproliferative and Antioxidant Activities

Abstract This study reports on the one‐step, green, catalyst‐free synthesis of new naphthoquinone‐polyphenols through an innovative method using the multicomponent domino Mannich–Michael reaction in the lawsone. After optimized condition reactions, twelve novel naphthoquinone polyphenols were synthesized with good yields. The polyphenols were tested on four cancer cell lines (HCT116, PC3, HL60, and SNB19), in which the best results showed antiproliferative activity with IC50 of 25.83–47.95 μM. Additionally, we used the CRAC assay to quantify the antioxidant capacity of each compound and determined a hierarchy based on the Trolox equivalent values.