Two new diterpene glycosides in addition to five known glycosides have been isolated from a commercial extract of the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. Compound 1 (rebaudioside KA) was shown to be 13-[(O-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid 2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester and compound 2, 12-α-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid β-d-glucopyranosyl ester. Five additional known compounds were identified, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside M, rebaudioside N, rebaudioside O, and stevioside, respectively. Enzymatic hydrolysis of stevioside afforded the known ent-kaurane aglycone 13-hydroxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (steviol) (3). The isolated metabolite 1 possesses the ent-kaurane aglycone steviol (3), while compound 2 represents the first example of the isomeric diterpene 12-α-hydroxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid existing as a glycoside in S. rebaudiana. The structures of the isolated metabolites 1 and 2 were determined based on comprehensive 1D- and 2D-NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) studies. A high-quality crystal of compound 3 has formed, which allowed the acquisition of X-ray diffraction data that confirmed its structure. The structural similarities between the new metabolites and the commercially available stevioside sweeteners suggest the newly isolated metabolites should be examined for their organoleptic properties. Accordingly rebaudiosides E, M, N, O, and KA have been isolated in greater than gram quantities.

Two new diterpene glycosides have been isolated from a commercial extract of the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. Compound 1 was shown to be 13-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-xylopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (rebaudioside R), while compound 2 was determined to be 13-[(2-O-α-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid 2-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (rebaudioside S). Six additional known compounds were identified, dulcoside B, 13-[(2-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid β-d-glucopyranosyl ester, eugenol diglucoside, rebaudioside G, 13-[(2-O-6-deoxy-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid β-d-glucopyranosyl ester, and rebaudioside D (3), respectively. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined based on comprehensive 1D and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC, and HMBC) studies. A high-quality crystal of compound 3 allowed confirmation of its structure by X-ray diffraction.

Stevia rebaudiana is a plant well-known as a source of dozens of high potency non-caloric natural sweeteners, many of them still uncharacterized. Herein, we describe the development of several routine HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) analytical techniques to better separate steviol glycosides. Different stationary phases/columns were used: reverse phase C-18, amino, HILIC (hydrophilic interaction chromatography), Sepaxdiol and Synergi. The advantages and disadvantages of each method for resolving the very polar and less polar elution regions are demonstrated. Strategies for scale up of the purification process of steviol glycosides to make it more economic are also summarized, emphasizing the advantages of using high efficiency normal phase chromatography in relation with reverse phase. Additionally, we also developed an easy and useful way for predicting yields and composition of the pools resulting from the preparative chromatography. The development of these analytical and preparative liquid chromatography techniques allowed the isolation of several steviol glycosides in gram quantities at relatively low cost.

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As an aid for structure elucidation of new steviol glycosides, reversed-phase C18 high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed with several previously characterized diterpene glycosides, to identify known and detect novel aglycone-C13 oligosaccharide moieties and indirectly identify C-19 interlinkages. Elution order of several diterpene glycosides and their aglycone-C13 oligosaccharide substituted with different sugar arrangements were also summarized. Comparison of the retention time of a product obtained after alkaline hydrolysis with the aglycone-C-13 portions of known compounds reported herein allowed us to deduce the exact positions of the sugars in the C-13 oligosaccharide portion. The elution position of several steviol glycosides with an ent-kaurene skeleton was helpful to describe an identification key. Two previously uncharacterized diterpene glycosides together with two known compounds were isolated from a commercial Stevia rebaudiana leaf extract. One was found to be 13-[(2-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid-(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl) ester (rebaudioside V), whereas the other was determined to be 13-[(2-O-β-d-xylopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl)oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid-(2-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl) ester (rebaudioside W). Previously reported compounds were isolated in gram quantities and identified as rebaudioside J and rebaudioside H. In addition, a C-19 sugar-free derivative was also prepared from rebaudioside H to afford rebaudioside H . Chemical structures were partially determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography method and unambiguously characterized by using one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance experiments.

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Stevia rebaudiana and its diterpene glycosides are one of the main focuses of food companies interested in developing novel zero calorie sugar substitutes since the recognition of steviol glycosides as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Rebaudioside A, one of the major steviol glycosides of the leaves is more than 200 times sweeter than sucrose. However, its lingering aftertaste makes it less attractive as a table-top sweetener, despite its human health benefits. Herein, we report the purification of two novel tetra-glucopyranosyl diterpene glycosides 1 and 3 (rebaudioside A isomers) from a commercial Stevia rebaudiana leaf extract compounds, their saponification products compounds 2 and 4, together with three known compounds isolated in gram quantities. Compound 1 was determined to be 13-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-6-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl) oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid-β-d-glucopyranosy ester (rebaudioside Z), whereas compound 3 was found to be 13-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl) oxy]ent-hydroxyatis-16-en-19-oic acid -β-d-glucopyranosy ester. Two new tetracyclic derivatives with no sugar at position C-19 were prepared from rebaudiosides 1 and 3 under mild alkaline hydrolysis to afford compounds 2 13-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-6-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl) oxy]ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid (rebaudioside Z1) and 4 13-[(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-β-d-glucopyranosyl) oxy]ent-hydroxyatis-16-en-19-oic acid. Three known compounds were purified in gram quantities and identified as rebaudiosides A (5), H (6) and J (7). Chemical structures were unambiguously elucidated using different approaches, namely HRESIMS, HRESI-MS/MS, and 1D-and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data. Additionally, a high-quality crystal of iso-stevioside was grown in methanol and its structure confirmed by X-ray diffraction.