A series of aryltetralin lignans 7a-l were synthesized as cytotoxic isodeoxypodophyllotoxin analogs. The title compounds 7a-l were synthesized from the reaction of (+)-(R)-4-[benzo(d)(1,3)dioxol-5-ylmethyl]dihydrofuran-2-(3H)-one with different arylaldehydes to afford benzyl alcohol analogs and subsequent cyclization with trifluoroacetic acid in dichromethane. The preliminary screening of the compounds against viability of blood cancer human cell line K562 revealed that compounds 7d, 7e, and 7f had higher inhibitory activity at 10 μg/mL concentration compared with etoposide as reference drug. J = 6.9 Hz, J = 13.7 Hz, H-6), 2.37 (dd, J = 8.7 Hz, J = 13.7 Hz, H-6), 2.47 (m, H-4), 2.92 (dd, J = 8.3 Hz, J = 9.3 Hz, H-3), 3.08 (dd, J = 5.0 Hz, J = 15.3 Hz, H-3), 3.17 (m, H-4), 3.74 (s, -OMe), 3.80 (s, -OMe), 3.91 (s, -OMe), 3.98 anti (m, J = 9.0 Hz, H-5), 4.13 syn (dd, J = 7.25Hz, J = 14.4 Hz, H-5), 4.46 anti (t, J = 8.0 Hz, H-5), 4.512 syn (m, H-7), 4.72 anti (d, J = 8.6 Hz, H-7), 5.09 syn (s, J = 5.6 Hz, H-7), 5.86 (s, 2H, OCH 2 O), 6.27-6.68 (m, 3H, aromatic H), 7.33 (d, 1H, J = 5.7 Hz, aromatic). FT-IR (film) ν max : 3460, (OH), 1770 (C=O) cm À1 . ESI-Mass m/z: 409 [M + Na] + . Anal. Calcd for C 21 H 22 O 7 : C, 67.41; H, 5.66. Found: C, 67.55; H, 5.72. (3S,4R)-4-[Benzo(d)(1,3)dioxol-5-ylmethyl]-3-[hydroxy(2,3dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (9h). Yield 65% as a mixture of diasteromers (anti/syn: 50/50); 1 H