Three new steroidal alkaloids with an unusual 3α tigloylamide group, named sarchookloides A–C (1–3), were isolated along with four known compounds (4–7) from the roots of Sarcococca hookeriana. Their structures and relative configuration were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods including MS, UV, IR, 1D, and 2D NMR data. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines: Hela, A549, MCF-7, SW480, and CEM in vitro. All three amide substituted steroidal alkaloids exhibited significant cytotoxic activities with IC₅₀ values of 1.05–31.83 μM.

Two new steroidal alkaloids, named hookerianine A (1) and hookerianine B (2) were isolated from the stems and roots of Sarcococca hookeriana Baill., along with two known compounds, sarcorucinine G (3) and epipachysamine D (4). On the basis of spectroscopic methods and by comparison with literature data, their structures were determined. As well as X-ray crystallography was performed to confirm compound 4. To identify novel antitumor inhibitors, all compounds were performed a CCK-8 assay against five human cancer cell lines SW480, SMMC-7721, PC3, MCF-7 and K562 in vitro. Compound 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities to all cell lines with IC₅₀ values in the range of 5.97–19.44 μM. Compound 3 was the most effective one against SW480 and K562 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 5.77 and 6.29 μM, respectively.

Two new steroidal alkaloids, 20α-dimethylamino-2α-hydroxyl-3β-tigloylamino-5α-pregnane (1) and Δ¹⁶-20α-dimethylamino-3β,4α-diol-5α-pregnane (2), along with five known alkaloids, sarcovagine D (3), pachysamine G (4), pachysamine H (5), pachysamine A (6), and terminaline (20S)-20-(N,N-dimethylamino)-5α-pregn-3β,4α-diol (7), were isolated from the roots of Sarcococca ruscifolia. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR and MS data, and the relative stereochemistry of 1 was finally determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis.

C₂₉H₄₅Cl₂N₂O₂, monoclinic, P2₁ (no. 4), a = 8.4429(4) Å, b = 19.6901(9) Å, c = 9.0259(4) Å, β = 100.700(2)°, V = 1474.4 ų, Z = 2, R_gt(F) = 0.0492, wR_ref(F²) = 0.1437, T = 293 K.