3-Hydroxyoctanoic acid

3-Hydroxyoctanoic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid that is naturally produced in humans, other animals, and plants. 
3-Hydroxyoctanoic acid is the primary endogenous agonist of hydroxycarboxylic acid receptor 3 (HCA3), a G protein-coupled receptor protein which is encoded by the human gene "HCAR3". In plants, signalling chemical emitted by the orchid "Cymbidium floribundum" and recognized by Japanese honeybees ("Apis cerana japonica").