Ascosalitoxin, a phytotoxic trisubstituted salicylic aldehyde from Ascochyta pisi

Ascochyta pisi var. pisi. a phytopathogenic fungus responsible for pea anthracnose, produced toxic metabolites when grown on autociaved wheat kernels. The main phytotoxin, called ascosalitoxin, was isolated and characterized as 2,4-dihydroxy-3-methyl-6-(1,3-di-methyl-2-oxopentyl)benzaldehyde by spectroscopic and chemical analysis of both the toxin and its acetyl derivative. Ascosalitoxin displayed phytotoxic activity on pea and bean leaves and pods, and on tomato seedlings. Assayed on brine shrimps (A. salina) and on Geotrichum candidum the toxin showed no toxicity. © 1993.