Macrophyllic acid from the heartwood of Podocarpus macrophyllus has been shown to be the bisditerpenoid dicarboxylic acid (I, R H) related to podototarin, and its di-O-methyl dimethyl ester synthesized from 16-hydroxytotarol. Podototarin (IV, R CH3) has been prepared by a one-step enzymatic coupling of (+)-totarol and the coupling reaction extended to the preparation of the lithiumaluminumhydride reduction