Abstract 6-Acetyl-2, 3, 5, 7-tetrahydroxy-1, 4-naphthoquinone (1) is obtained from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7-hexaacetoxynaphthalene by Fries rearrangement, hydrolysis, and oxidation, but differs in properties from the substance described in the literature as a spine pigment of Echinothrix diadema Linn., E. calamaris Pallis, and Echinometra oblonga Blainville and claimed to be (1). The synthetic quinone (1) is very probably identical with Lederer's spinochrome G ...
