A convenient route to new 3(2H)-furanones is described through hydrogenolysis and subsequent acidic hydrolysis of isoxazoles. The antiproliferative activity of title compounds were evaluated against leukemia-, carcinoma-, neuroblastoma-, and sarcoma-derived human cell lines in comparison to the natural compound geiparvarin. The structure activity relationship indicated that the maximum in vitro antiproliferative activity correlates with the presence of a heterocyclic ring on the ethenyl moiety.