Abstract: A composition for use in making commercial food and skin products comprising R-equol. The composition can be used to make articles of commerce such as food supplements, pharmaceuticals, and medicaments. The compositions are useful in a method of delivering R-equol to a mammal to prevent or treat a disease or associated condition, including hormone-dependent diseases or conditions such as cardiovascular disease, lipid disorder, osteopenia, osteoporosis, liver disease, and acute ovarian estrogen deficiency. The R-equol enantiomer can be produced by chiral-phase column separation from a racemic mixture of equol.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a method of preventing or ameliorating a neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disease or disorder in a subject. The method includes administering a composition comprising equol in an amount sufficient to prevent or ameliorate the neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disease or disorder. The equol may be a racemic mixture of R-equol and S-equol. The equol may be enantiomerically enriched with R-equol or enantiomerically enriched with Sequol.

Abstract: A method for preparing an enantiomeric chromane, by asymmetrically hydrogenating a chromene compound in the presence of an Ir catalyst having a chiral ligand. The method includes the enantioselective preparation of enantiomeric equol. A preferred Ir catalyst has a chiral phosphineoxazoline ligand. Enantiomeric chromanes of high stereoselective purity can be obtained.