Stevia rebaudiana is a plant species in the genusStevia of the familyAsteraceae. It is commonly known ascandyleaf,sweetleaf orsugarleaf.[1][2]
It is a small seasonal plant which grows to a height of 30–60 centimetres (1–2 feet).[2] It has elongated leaves that grow along the stems and are lined up against each other. The flowers are typically trimmed to improve the taste of the leaves.[3] Stevia is a tender perennial native to parts ofBrazil andParaguay having humid, wet environments.[2][3]
Stevia is widely grown for its leaves, from whichextracts can be manufactured as sweetener products known generically asstevia and sold under various trade names.[4] The chemical compounds that produce its sweetness are varioussteviol glycosides (mainlystevioside andrebaudioside), which have 200–300 times thesweetness of sugar.[2][5] Stevia leaves contain 9.1% stevioside and 3.8%rebaudioside A.[6]
Stevia rebaudiana is a perennial herb growing up to 2 ft (0.61 m) tall.[2] The flowers are white with light purple accents and no fragrance. Plants produce fruit which is ribbed spindle-shaped. Stevia prefers sandy-like soil.[2]
In 1931, chemistsM. Bridel andR. Lavielle isolated theglycosides stevioside and rebaudioside that give the leaves their sweet taste.[7] The exact structures of theaglyconesteviol and its glycoside were published in 1955.
Beginning in the 1960s,[4] commercial cultivation had spread toJapan,Southeast Asia and theUS, but also in mildly tropical climates in hilly areas ofNepal or India (Assam region). The plant prefers warm, moist and sunny conditions.[2] The plant cannot survive frost during the winter and thereforegreenhouses are used to grow stevia inEurope.[8]
Stevia rebaudiana is found in the wild insemiaridhabitats ranging from grassland to mountain terrain, do produceseeds, but only a small percentage of the seedsgerminate.
Stevia rebaudiana has been grown on an experimental basis inOntario, Canada, since 1987 to determine the feasibility of commercial cultivation.[9]Duke University researchers developed a strategic plan to assist farmers and exportersin Paraguay to compete in the global market for stevia.[10]
Stevia rebaudiana has been used over centuries by theGuaraní people of Brazil and Paraguay, who called itka'a he'ẽ ("sweet herb"), to sweeten the localyerba mate tea, as medicine, and as a "sweet treat".[11]
In 1899, botanistMoisés Santiago Bertoni first described the plant as growing in eastern Paraguay, and observed its sweet taste.[12]
Based on theJECFA (Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives) declaration, safe consumption ofsteviol glycosides for humans is determined to be 4 mg/kg body weight per day.[14] It was also agreed by theEuropean Commission in 2011 for use in food in European countries.[15] Steviol glycosides have also been accepted in the US asgenerally recognized as safe (GRAS).[16]
Stevia leaf and raw extracts are not treated as GRAS and their import into the US is not allowed for usage as sweeteners.[17][18]
^Bridel, M.; Lavielle, R. (1931). "Sur le principe sucre des feuilles de kaa-he-e (stevia rebaundiana B)".Comptes rendus de l'Académie des sciences (Parts 192):1123–5.
^Ramesh, K.; Singh, Virendra; Megeji, Nima W. (1 January 2006), "Cultivation of Stevia [Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni]: A Comprehensive Review",Advances in Agronomy Volume 89, vol. 89, Academic Press, pp. 137–177,doi:10.1016/s0065-2113(05)89003-0,ISBN9780120008070
Data related toStevia rebaudiana at Wikispecies
Media related toStevia rebaudiana at Wikimedia Commons