To isolate and characterize antitumor active compounds (bioactivity-guided fractionation) from the ethyl acetate extract of fermentation broth of marine-derived fungus Penicillium chrysogenum HGQ6. Following the cytotoxicity against human cancer cell line BGC823, one compound was isolated and purified by silica gel chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and preparative high performance liquid chromatography. The isolated compound was elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis as 5-hydroxymethyl-2- furancarboxaldehyde, which exhibited cytotoxicity against BGC823 cell line with an IC50 value of 0.19 mg/mL. Our present study concluded that, 5-Hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde isolated from marine-derived fungus Penicillium chrysogenum HGQ6 has a certain extent of antitumor potential.