A series of 4-aryl-hexahydroquinolines were prepared by Hantzsch reaction using aromatic aldehydes obtained from lignin, 1,3-cyclohexanediones, β-ketoesters and ammonium carbonate. The antioxidant properties of compounds 5a-c and 5g-i were evaluated by two methods: scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and scavenging effect on 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylenzothiazoline-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS + ) radical. The results show that the compounds containing a methoxy moiety exhibit good activities. The study suggests that some synthesized compounds may serve as promising leads for the treatment against tumors or other free radical-related diseases.