Stevia rebaudiana: A medicinal and nutraceutical plant and sweet gold for diabetic patients

Abstract

Natural sweeteners that can substitute for sucrose have caught great attention due to the growing incidence of obesity and diabetes. Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is an exotic plant in our country. It has both economical and medicinal importance. Now a days it has become a major source of commercial sweetener for the growing natural food market in the future. This plant has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives. The sugar or sucrose is the most popular sweetener in the world. However, for adverse health effects of sucrose and known artificial sweeteners, interest in and search for no calorie natural sweeteners has been intensified in recent years. Very fortunately, stevioside was found which can satisfy the urge for nurge for sweet consumption of diabetic subjects. The leaves of Stevia rebaudiana contain different steviol glycosides, the major constituent being stevioside. Stevioside is a diterpenoid glycoside, comprising an aglycone (steviol) and three molecules of glucose. In addition to stevioside several other sweet compounds such as steviobioside, rebaudioside A, B, C, D, E and ducoside A, were isolated from Stevia rebaudiana. This review discusses the potential of medicinal and nutritional importance of this wild herb for health care management and also describes its as an alternative for diabetic patients.