Steviol glycoside

Steviol glycosides are the chemical compounds responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the South American plant Stevia rebaudiana (Asteraceae) and the main ingredients (or precursors) of many sweeteners marketed under the generic name stevia and several trade names.

[1] Steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana have been reported to be between 30 and 320 times sweeter than sucrose,[2] although there is some disagreement in the technical literature about these numbers.

[2] Steviol glycosides do not induce a glycemic response when ingested, because humans cannot metabolize stevia.

The steviol glycosides found in S. rebaudiana leaves, and their dry weight percentage, include: The last three are present only in minute quantities, and rebaudioside B has been claimed to be a byproduct of the isolation technique.

Steviol is first produced in the plastids and in the endoplasmic reticulum is glucosylated and glycosylated in the cytoplasm, catalyzed by UDP-glucosyltransferases.

[9] Synthesis of steviol glycoside begins with isoprene units created via the DXP or MEP pathway.