R-equol

R-equol is the synthetic (R)-enantiomer of equol, a nonsteroidal estrogen and metabolite of the soy isoflavone daidzein. While S-equol is the naturally occurring form produced by gut microbiota in certain individuals (equol producers), R-equol is typically produced synthetically for therapeutic investigation. It acts as a selective agonist of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) and has been shown to bind and sequester 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), preventing it from binding to the androgen receptor. Research, including studies presented at ECCO 2025, indicates that R-equol may ameliorate intestinal inflammation in models of ulcerative colitis by modulating the gut microbiota-equol-ERβ axis. It has also been evaluated in Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and other androgen-mediated conditions.

Other names

(R)-equoldextro-equol(R)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chroman-7-ol