The development of environmentally friendly processes with limited generation of polluting streams to attain sustainable utilization of raw materials is encouraged. The implementation of novel extraction technologies more efficient, selective and with lower energy consumption than conventional ones, can help in achieving this objective. Particularly promising are aqueous based methods, since water is a cheap, safe and abundant solvent and the limited use of toxic organic solvents is a consumer's, ecological and processing demand. The benefits and the limiting aspects of microwave assisted water extraction, either adding water as the only solvent or in solvent free processes, using the naturally present water in vegetal materials for the extraction of valuable components from renewable vegetal sources are highlighted and the potential of this technique for industrial applications is discussed. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry