Pisatin

Pisatin is a phytoalexin, or plant metabolite, that is produced by the pea plant Pisum sativum.

It is a member of the pterocarpan class and is the 3-O-methyl ether of (+)-6a-hydroxymaackiain.

Pisatin is the first phytoalexin to be purified and chemically identified.

It is also a valuable indicator of plant defense response.

Pisatin is an antifungal substance. When added to a culture of a pea-pathogenic fungus and incubated for a week, pisatin could not be recovered in the nutrient broth or in the mycelium. The product of pisatin degradation is low toxic for the fungi.

Pisatin is also found in Lathyrus odoratus and Lathyrus sativus