Unearthing the safety and health benefits of natural sweetener steviol glycoside
Introduction
Steviol glycosides are secondary metabolites obtained by extracting and isolating stevia from the herbaceous plant Stevia rebaudiana of the Asteraceae family, with a high degree of sweetness and a pure white powder color, which have been perceived as a natural sweetener/sugar substitution in food industry. In addition to this, steviol glycosides may be a high-quality medicinal resource.Chemical structure of major steviol glycosides
The presence of a hydroxyl group in the C-13 position and a carboxyl group in the C-19 position is necessary for the sweet taste of these compounds. Herein, R1 and R2 are the major sweet glycosides, and the constituents attached to the base structure of steviol are glucose, rhamnose, and xylose sugar moieties. The composition of different carbohydrate fractions on R2 determines the sweetness and flavor quality of steviol glycosides.
Application history of steviol glycosides
| Time | Item |
| ...... | Paraguayans in South America use stevia’s dried leaves in brewing tea, spanning over 1,500 years. |
| 1931 | Two French chemists have isolated steviol glycosides, the components that render stevia distinctive sweet flavor. |
| 1970s to 1980s | Japan begins to use stevia as a sweetener for food and beverage, followed by Korea, China, Malaysia, Latin America and other countries. |
| 2008 | High-purity steviol glycosides and Reb A are approved as GRAS by US FDA. FSANZ approves the use of steviol glycosides. |
| 2010 | JECFA designates the usage of nine steviol glycosides (≥95% purity) in food and beverages. |
| 2011 | CODEX adopts steviol glycosides as a food additive and publishes a standard for food use. Following the safety review of steviol glycosides by EFSA, EU approves the use of steviol glycosides as a sweetener in 27 member states and limits the dosage. |
| 2016 | Canada conducts a safety evaluation on steviol glycosides and finds no safety risk, followed by the release of an announcement on the approval of multiple steviol glycosides as sweeteners in food. |
| 2017 | JECFA determines the specifications for steviol glycosides derived from the stevia plant. NHFPC (China) approves an expanded use of steviol glycosides. |
| ...... | ...... |
Health benefits of steviol glycosides
In the food industry, steviol glycosides have intensively applied as sweeteners by virtue of unique sweet and refreshing taste, which can be used to:* Enhance the softness and moisture of baking products
* Increase the aroma of the wine and reduce viscosity
* Improve flavor, extend shelf life and reduce cost
* Reduce the sweetness brought by sucrose
* Develop low sugar diary products
Beyond their value as sweeteners, steviol glycosides possess therapeutic effects against several diseases such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, inflammation, cystic fibrosis, obesity and tooth decay.
Safety and toxicological evaluation of steviol glycosides
Safety of steviol glycosides has been confirmed in numerous toxicological studies including acute and subacute toxicity, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity investigations. Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0-2 mg/kg body weight/day has been accepted for steviol glycosides by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives.Conclusion
Steviol glycosides found in Stevia are not teratogenic, mutagenic or carcinogenic, showing no acute and subacute toxicity under recommend ADI. Its application is not merely limited to sweeteners/sugar substitutions, and its promising value is awaited to be further unearthed.Reference
[1] Momtazi-Borojeni AA, Esmaeili SA, Abdollahi E, Sahebkar A. A Review on the Pharmacology and Toxicology of Steviol Glycosides Extracted from Stevia rebaudiana. Curr Pharm Des. 2017;23(11):1616-1622. doi:10.2174/1381612822666161021142835[2] Huang C, Wang Y, Zhou C, et al. Properties, extraction and purification technologies of Stevia rebaudiana steviol glycosides: A review. Food Chem. 2024;453:139622. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139622
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