The synthesis and pharmacological properties of a series of aroylmethyl derivatives of tricyclic benzimidazole systems containing hydroxy groups in aroyl radicals are described. It is established that most of the synthesized compounds exhibit a high antioxidant activity, possess pronounced hemorheological properties, and influence the blood glucose level.The treatment of various pathological states accompanied by the intensification of peroxidation processes [1 -3] usually involves antioxidants [4 -6]. In continuation of the search for new substances possessing antioxidant properties, we have synthesized a series of aroylmethyl derivatives of 2,3-dihydroimidazo-and 2,3,4,10-tetrahydropyrimido-[1, 2-a]benzimidazoles containing various phenolic substituents in the aroyl radical (II -V) and their open forms, representing 2-hydroxyalkylaminobenzimidazoles with 3,5-ditert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenacyl radical in position 1 (IXa, IXb). The synthesized compounds were characterized with respect to antioxidant properties and some other pharmacological effects on various models involving activation of the free-radical processes (in particular, those influencing blood rheology).Compounds II -V can be obtained by directly introducing acylmethyl groups into tricycles Ia and Ib with the aid of the corresponding substituted phenacylbromides.In contrast to smoothly proceeding reactions of tricycles Ia and Ib with 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenacylbromide leading to derivatives IV and V, the reactions with 4-hydroxy-and 3,4-dihydroxyphenacylbromides are rather ambigu-ous. These reactions yield ketones II and III heavily contaminated with resinous products, which can be separated neither by recrystallization nor by column chromatography (because of their low mobility). However, using the saponification of methoxy groups in N-para-methoxyphenacyl derivatives of these heterocycles (described in [7]) and in 4-hydroxy-and 3,4-dihydroxyphenacyl derivatives VI in concentrated NBr, we obtained the target products II and III in a rather pure form and with good yields. The restoration of ketones IV and VI by sodium borohydride in MeOH or EtOH yielded alcohols VII and VIII, respectively. n = 1 (Ia -VIIa), 2 (Ib -VIIb, IXa), 3 (IXb); Ar = C 6 H 4 OH-4 (II); C 6 H 3 (OH) 2 -3,4 (III); 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl (IV, V*, VIII, IX), C 6 H 3 (OCH 3 ) 2 (VI, VII); * Compound Vb contains Me groups in positions 7 and 8.