5(R)-HETE is a rare lipoxygenase product of arachidonic acid. Nearly all plant and animal 5-LOs produce 5(S)-HETE, but the presence of a 5(R)-LO and the synthesis of 5(R)-HpETE and 5(R)-HETE have been confirmed in oocytes of the bivalve mollusk, S. solidissima. 5(R)-HETE is more potent than the (S)-enantiomer as a chemotactic agent for human neutrophils.
(±)5-HETE, a monohydroxy fatty acid, emerges from the non-enzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid and is one of six such derivatives. Its methyl ester variant exhibits no unique biological activity and serves as a provided standard. This methyl ester can also be present in oxidatively degraded polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) methyl esters.