The study investigated the extraction of alkaloids and glycosides from the Camptotheca acuminata Decne using deep eutectic solvent (DES). 18 types of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were prepared, and it was found that the extraction performance of choline chloride (ChCl)-formic acid (FA) was optimal, surpassing traditional solvents such as methanol/70 % methanol. In comparison to methanol, the extracted amount of compounds by DES was 2–3 times higher. The extraction processes involving the molar ratio of ChCl-FA, pH, DES/H2O mass ratio, solid/liquid ratio, as well as ultrasonic power were optimized. A mathematical model for solid/liquid extraction kinetics from Camptotheca acuminata Decne was developed. The extraction mechanism was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance(1H NMR). The results revealed that the DES caused dissociation in Camptotheca acuminata Decne and formed hydrogen bonds with Camptothecin (CPT). Meanwhile, density functional theory (DFT) calculations verified that FA-based exhibited the highest extracted amount for CPT. In addition, this study investigated the recovery rate of DES, and the results showed that after 10 cycles, the DES system remained effective for the extraction of alkaloids and glycosides.