Zearalanone is a minor component of the zearalenone complex produced by several species of Fusarium. Like the more abundant analogues, zearalanone causes estrogenic effects in domestic livestock. Zearalanone is a metabolite of α-zearalanol, a commercially available growth promotant in animals, and is a useful standard for detection of zearanol-contaminated products and Fusarium-contaminated grains.
Zearalanone is soluble in ethanol, methanol, DMF or DMSO. Zearalanone has limited water solubility.