Three new Amaryllidaceae alkaloids, named zephycandidines I-III (1-3), were isolated from Zephyranthes candida. The structures of 1-3 were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including HRESIMS, (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, DEPT, HSQC, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HMBC, ROESY, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD), as well as ECD calculation. The absolute configuration of 1 was finally established by single crystal X-ray diffraction using Cu Kalpha radiation. Zephycandidines I (1) and III (3) with new framework types represent the first example of 7-phenyl-hexahydroindole and 5,2'-dimethyl-biphenyl-2-ylamine alkaloids, respectively, and their plausible biosynthetic pathway are proposed. Zephycandidine II (2) is the first C3a-phenyl-hexahydroindole type alkaloid isolated from the genus of Zephyranthes. These new alkaloids 1-3 were evaluated for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities, and 3 showed potent AChE inhibitory activity with an IC(50) value of 8.82 muM, suggesting that the framework of 5,2'-dimethyl-biphenyl-2-ylamine in 3 may be a potential group for the AChE inhibitory activity. The docking studies of 1-3 and galanthamine with AChE revealed that interactions with W286 and Y337 are necessary for the AChE inhibitory activity. CI - Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.