Maleic anhydride 1 of Antrodia camphorate, which can be isolated from Chinese herbal medicine, is achieved in which the longest linear sequence is only five steps, in 40% overall yield from commercially available succinic anhydride. The crucial antrodimides 3 and 2 can be readily transformed by the chemoselective reduction with Zn/AcOH and NaBH4/Ni (OAc) 2· 4H2O to afford the naturally occurring camphorataimides, 4 and 5, in high yields as well ...