Critical analysis of research trends and issues in microwave assisted extraction of phenolics: Have we really done enough

In the last five years microwave assisted extraction (MAE) has gained tremendous research interest as evident from the number of publications recorded in Scopus. This particular review article on MAE of phenolics/flavonois/antioxidant principles from plants addresses different operational and conceptual issues which govern the entire process and presents a critical analysis of the same. The manuscript has been divided into pre-extraction and post-extraction issues, questions have been raised and suitable resolutions have been opined. This review which describes the basic research trends in MAE of phenolics from plants shall be a basic stepwise guideline for any industries planning to adopt this technology at a large scale. This article shall highlight the pros and cones of this technology so that the industries can perform a cost-benefit analysis of each step which shall dictate the feasibility of the project.