Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang, a plant from the Papaveraceae family, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. The dried tubers of C. yanhusuo have been widely used to enhance blood circulation and relieve pain. Alkaloids are the primary bioactive constituents of C. yanhusuo, with over 110 alkaloid compounds structurally identified. Supercritical fluid extraction, ultrafiltration, and molecular imprinting separation and purification techniques, combined with chromatographic-nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, can significantly improve the extraction efficiency and detection sensitivity of these active compounds, particularly those present in lower concentrations or with similar structures. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that alkaloids such as tetrahydropalmatine and berberine exhibit diverse biological activities, including analgesic, sedative, antiarrhythmic, anti-myocardial ischemic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. This review systematically discusses the chemical structures, extraction and purification strategies, analytical methodologies, and pharmacological activities of alkaloids from C. yanhusuo, providing scientific foundation for the pharmaceutical development and potential applications of C. yanhusuo.