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 (HCA<sub>3</sub>), 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).