Nordihydroguaiaretic acid

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is an antioxidant compound found in the creosote bush ("Larrea tridentata").
The creosote plant has been used in herbal medicine, 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 toxicity and hepatotoxicity are reported for chronic use of creosote bush and NDGA.
A 1986 study 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. A 2008 study reported that nordihydroguaiaretic acid lengthened the lifespan of male mice, but not of female mice.
NDGA is a redox-type inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase and may thus exhibit antiinflammatory bioactivity. The mode of action is based on induction of substantial structural disorder in the peptide helix that shields the active site of the enzyme.