Steviol Glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana: An Updated Overview of Their Sweetening Activity, Pharmacological Properties, and Safety Aspects

Abstract

This literature-based review synthesizes the available scientific information about steviol glycosides as natural sweeteners and molecules with therapeutic potential. In addition, it discusses the safety concerns regarding human consumption. Steviol glycosides exhibit a superior sweetener proficiency to that of sucrose and are noncaloric, noncariogenic, and nonfermentative. Scientific evidence encourages stevioside and rebaudioside A as sweetener alternatives to sucrose and supports their use based on their absences of harmful effects on human health. Moreover, these active compounds isolated from Stevia rebaudiana possess interesting medicinal activities, including antidiabetic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and antidiarrheal activity. The described bioactivities of steviol glycosides deserve special attention based on their dose dependence and specific pathological situations. Further clinical research is needed to understand underlying mechanisms of action, therapeutic indexes, and pharmacological applications.

Observation on local high-yielding stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni L.) clone specific to Bandung District, West Java

“…Sugar is considered one of the twelve essential food commodities that the government must protect and guarantee [1]. Generally, people consume sugar for its natural sweetness in foods and beverages, as well as for its preservative properties [2][3][4]. The Sugarcane plant is a popular source of natural sweeteners, with Indonesia alone consuming an average of 5.7 million tons of sugar per year.…”

Impact of replacing sugar withStevia rebaudianaBertoni leaves on the physical–chemical and sensory characteristics of gluten‐free and lactose‐free cake

“…Cakes are widely accepted foods, and the choice of ingredients for the products developed was based on their being part of three subgroups of foods for particular purposes: foods for nutrient‐restricted diets (including carbohydrates, fats, proteins and sodium); foods for controlled intake of nutrients; and food for specific population groups (Anvisa, 1998). In addition to the already‐known benefits of gluten‐free and lactose‐free foods (Gorgônio et al ., 2011; Hager et al ., 2012; Valcárcel‐Yamani & Lannes, 2012; Dizlek & Ozer, 2016; Parzanese et al ., 2017; Singh et al ., 2018; Zhu, 2018; Barone et al ., 2020; Nespeca et al ., 2020; Oliveira et al ., 2020; Alvarez et al ., 2021; Goubgou et al ., 2021; Lebwohl & Rubio‐Tapia, 2021; Pelinson Tridapalli et al ., 2023), the use of stevia leaves has shown many benefits for human health, such as anti‐diabetic (Kujur et al ., 2010; Misra et al ., 2011; Singh & Dwivedi, 2014; Ruiz‐Ruiz et al ., 2015; Ahmad et al ., 2018; He et al ., 2019; Abdel‐Aal et al ., 2021); anti‐hypertension (Melis, 1995; Park & Cha, 2010; Orellana‐Paucar, 2023); renal function (Melis, 1995; Rizwan et al ., 2018); anti‐oxidant (Shukla et al ., 2012; Ruiz‐Ruiz et al ., 2015; Lahijanian et al ., 2023); and anti‐cancer (Chen et al ., 2018; Adilah Abd Rahman et al ., 2020; Martínez‐Rojo et al ., 2020; Iatridis et al ., 2022), among other studies.…”

Progress and Prospects of Natural Glycoside Sweetener Biosynthesis: A Review

“…Among various sugar substitutes, synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame, and sodium cyclamate are characterized by a bitter aftertaste and can induce potential carcinogenicity in clinical experiments . In contrast, natural sweeteners from plant secondary metabolites, particularly glycoside sweeteners, possess the advantages of good taste and low-calorie. , Taking steviol glycosides as instance, they possess low calories, for the glycosides usually cannot be hydrolyzed by enzymes or acids in upper gastrointestinal tract, without being absorbed; and the sugar residues are eliminated and assimilated by microbiota in colon . Besides, glycoside sweeteners are generally characterized by high sweetness.…”

“…Their sweetness level (0.1‰ aqueous solution, w/w) is 100–400 times higher than that of 5% aqueous sucrose solution (w/w). , Moreover, glycoside sweeteners have been reported to possess pharmaceutical properties. For instance, stevioside and rebaudioside A (Reb A) can reduce hypertension, lower hyperlipidemia, and exert anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects . Morgroside V can repair pancreatic damage and improve metabolic disorders .…”

“…For instance, stevioside and rebaudioside A (Reb A) can reduce hypertension, lower hyperlipidemia, and exert anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. 7 Morgroside V can repair pancreatic damage and improve metabolic disorders. 12 Thus, glycoside sweeteners are promising novel food additives owing to their numerous advantages, such as reducing the amount of sugar additives and maintaining the sweetness of different food items.…”