Nine new pregnane alkaloids, pachysamines J-R (1-9), together with seven known ones, were isolated from Pachysandra axillaris. The chemical structures of the new alkaloids were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. All the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, SK-BR-3, and PANC-1 cell lines. Compound 15 possessed moderate activities against A-549, SK-BR-3, and PANC-1 cells, with the IC(50) values of 11.17, 4.17, and 10.76 microM, respectively. Besides, compound 11 showed cytotoxicities against A-549 cell, with the IC(50) values as 24.94 microM. CI - Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc.