Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a powerful antioxidant that can be found in plants like
Larrea tridentata (Zygophyllaceae), also known as creosote bush, which grows in semidesert
areas of Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico [1]. Several studies have
demonstrated that NDGA has important biological activities with great interest in the health area,
such as antiviral, cancer chemopreventive, and antitumorgenic activities [2]. Extraction of
bioactive compounds from plants is conventionally performed using a heat‐reflux extraction
method. However, different techniques have been developed in order to decrease extraction
time and solvent consumption, as well as to increase the extraction yield and enhance the
extracts quality [3]. The objective of this study was to develop a microwave‐assisted extraction
(MAE) method for NDGA recovery from Larrea tridentata leaves, and compare the obtained
results with those found by using the conventional heat‐reflux extraction (HRE)
