Conclusions
Ten diterpenoid alkaloids were isolated from the poisonous traditional Chinese herbal drug
prepared from the secondary roots of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx., known as “Fuzi”. Among them
three alkaloids, including chasmanine, oxonitine and 15-acetylsongoramine, were isolated from this
medicinal plant for the first time. The cytotoxic activities of these alkaloids were also tested against
several human cancer cell lines, which showed that the ester groups play a considerably important role
in the anticancer potency of those diterpenoid alkaloids.