Anti-anxiety, cognitive, and steroid biosynthetic effects of an isoflavone-based dietary supplement are gonad and sex-dependent in rats

► Animals were male and female rats that were either intact or gonadectomized. ► The isoflavone supplement increased anti-anxiety behavior of intact rats. ► The isoflavone supplement increased visual-spatial performance most notably in proestrus rats. ► The isoflavone supplement increased levels of 3α-diol in the hippocampus of gonadectomized females. ► The isoflavone supplement neither altered sexual behavior, mass of reproductive tissues, nor plasma levels of steroids.