A series of new compounds structurally derived from 6a, 12a-dihydro-6H, 7H-[1]-benzopyran- [4, 3-b]-benzopyran (homopterocarpane) was efficiently synthesized by reduction of the corresponding pyrilium salts obtained by treatment of selected flavanones and aldehydes with anhydrous HClO4. Cytotoxic effects on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and antiestrogenic activity (only for compounds which resulted more active than tamoxifen ( ...