Isolation and identification of an allelopathic substance in Pisum sativum

The residue of peas (Pisum sativum L.) has allelopathic activity and the putative compound causing this inhibitory effect was isolated from a methanol extract of pea shoots. Chemical structure of this compound was determined by high-resolution MS, IR and 1H NMR spectral data as pisatin. Pisatin inhibited growth of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) seedlings at concentrations greater than 10 and 30 microM, respectively. The doses required for 50% growth inhibition of roots and hypocotyls of cress were 61 and 91 microM, respectively, and those of lettuce were 78 and 115 microM, respectively. The concentration of pisatin in the pea shoots was 32.7 nmol x g(-1) fresh weight. The effectiveness of pisatin on growth inhibition in cress and lettuce, and its occurrence in pea shoots suggest that it may contribute to the growth inhibitory effect of pea residue, and may play an important role in pea allelopathy.