Nordihydroguaiaretic acid

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a potent antioxidant compound found in the long-lived creosote bush. It is believed that NDGA reduces cell damage by free radicals, so under the free-radical theory of aging, could be responsible for the bush's long life. A 1986 study ^[1] involved feeding female mosquitos NDGA to test the effect on their average life span. While the usual mosquito life span was 29 days, the NDGA-fed mosquitos lived an average of 45 days—an increase of 50 percent.

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The plant has been used to treat a variety of illnesses including infertility, rheumatism, arthritis, diabetes, gallbladder and kidney stones, pain and inflammation but its use is controversial. It was widely used during the 1950s as a food preservative and to preserve natural fibers but was later banned after reports of toxicity during the early 1960s. Recently, it has been used as a nutritional supplement, however renal and hepatotoxicity are reported for chronic use of creosote bush and NDGA. ^[2]

References

1. ^ Richie JP Jr, Mills BJ, Lang CA. "Dietary nordihydroguaiaretic acid increases the life span of the mosquito." Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1986 Oct;183(1):81-5
2. ^ Adapted from Arteaga S, Andrade-Cetto A, Cardenas R. "Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush), an abundant plant of Mexican and US-American deserts and its metabolite nordihydroguaiaretic acid." J Ethnopharmacol. 2005 Apr 26;98(3):231-9