(R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid is the R-enantiomer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid. Involved in the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, it can be used as an energy source by the brain during hypoglycaemia, and for the synthesis of biodegradable plastics. It is a sex pheremone in the European spider Linyphia triangularis. It has a role as a pheromone, a fungal metabolite and a human metabolite. It is a 3-hydroxybutyric acid and a ketone body. It is a conjugate acid of a (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate. It is an enantiomer of a (S)-3-hydroxybutyric acid.
