Recently, people have become more aware of daily sugar intake limits and their impact on health. However, despite this growing awareness, enjoying sweet treats such as sugary drinks, cakes, and chocolate remains a guilty pleasure for many. Amid this dilemma, one compound has emerged as a potential alternative: Stevioside, a natural sweetener known for its ability to replace sugar while still providing a sweet taste. Let’s take a closer look at this sweet compound and discover more about its potential!
Natural Sources
Stevioside can be extracted from the stevia plant, or Stevia rebaudiana(Bertoni), a species native to South America, particularly Paraguay and Brazil [1]. Stevia plants have naturally sweet leaves, earning them nicknames such as “honey leaf of sweet chrysanthemum” and “Sweet herb of Paraguay” [2]. The stevioside content in stevia leaves can vary from 4% to 20% of the leaf weight, depending on growing conditions and cultivation methods [3].
For hundreds of years, indigenous communities in South America have used stevia leaves as both a sweetener and an ingredient in traditional herbal remedies. As the potential of stevia leaves as a sweetener and for therapeutic applications has become more widely recognized, stevia cultivation has expanded to many other countries. These include Asian countries such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, as well as the United States, Canada, and several European countries [4].
Chemical Characteristics
Stevioside is a diterpene glycoside composed of an aglycone (steviol) and three glucose molecules [2]. It is the primary compound responsible for the sweet taste of stevia leaves, although it is not the only sweet-tasting component present in the plant. Other compounds that contribute to stevia’s sweetness include steviolbioside, rebaudiosides A, B, C, D, and E, as well as dulcoside A. These compounds are also diterpene glycosides with steviol as their aglycone [2,3].
Stevioside is known to have relatively good stability. Its stability in beverages such as tea and coffee has been tested, with results indicating that it remains stable at temperatures of up to 120°C. In aqueous solutions, stevioside is stable across a pH range of 2–10 [5].
The human digestive system lacks enzymes capable of degrading stevioside. Therefore, orally consumed stevioside passes through the digestive process from the mouth to the small intestine without being degraded [5]. However, stevioside can eventually be hydrolyzed by intestinal microbiota into steviol and glucose [2,6].
More Than Just a Sweetener
Stevioside is a natural, calorie-free sweetener. Therefore, its use as a substitute for table sugar has gained attention as a way to help reduce concerns about the risks associated with diabetes and obesity [2,4]. Stevioside can be up to 300 times sweeter than sucrose in a 0.4% solution [3]. In addition to being calorie-free, stevioside has very low absorption in the human body. Steviol, a compound produced through the hydrolysis of stevioside, is known to be one of the metabolites found in feces that is not further metabolized [2].
However, stevioside offers more than just sweetness. It has also demonstrated several pharmacological activities that warrant further investigation, including potential antitumor and anticancer, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, and antibacterial effects [1,2,4].
Antihyperglycaemic Activities
In addition to serving as a calorie-free sweetener, several studies have shown that stevioside and related compounds may influence plasma glucose levels by modulating insulin secretion and sensitivity, thereby enhancing glucose removal from the bloodstream. These compounds may also inhibit intestinal glucose absorption and hepatic glucose production by affecting the activity of several enzymes involved in glucose synthesis. Since these activities have only been observed under conditions of elevated plasma glucose levels, it has been suggested that their antihyperglycemic effects are unlikely to pose a risk to healthy individuals with normal blood glucose levels [4].
Antiinflamation and Antitumor/Anticancer Activities
Steviol glycosides, including stevioside, have been found to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting localized skin inflammation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) [4].
In addition to inducing inflammation, TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate) is also known to promote cancer development in mammalian cells [4]. A study investigating natural compounds with potential chemopreventive properties found that stevioside, steviol, and isosteviol could effectively inhibit the promotion stage of cancer cells induced by DMBA (7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene)/TPA. Among these compounds, stevioside demonstrated the strongest inhibitory effect. It also significantly inhibited the initiation stage induced by peroxynitrite compared with the other two compounds [7].
Conclusion
As a natural sweetener, stevioside offers several advantages due to its intense sweetness and zero-calorie content. Beyond serving as a sugar alternative that may help address concerns related to diabetes and obesity, stevioside also demonstrates promising pharmacological potential, including antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor/anticancer activities. These properties make it a potential candidate for further research as a bioactive compound. Nevertheless, additional studies are needed to establish its efficacy, safety, and optimal dosage for long-term use.
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Referensi
[1] Yadav, A. K., Singh, S., Dhyani, D., & Ahuja, P. S. (2011). A review on the improvement of stevia [ Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni)]. Canadian Journal of Plant Science, 91(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.4141/cjps10086
[2] Brahmachari, G., Mandal, L. C., Roy, R., Mondal, S., & Brahmachari, A. K. (2010). Stevioside and Related Compounds – Molecules of Pharmaceutical promise: A Critical Overview. Archiv Der Pharmazie, 344(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/ardp.201000181
[3] Geuns, J. M. (2003). Stevioside. Phytochemistry, 64(5), 913–921. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9422(03)00426-6
[4] Chatsudthipong, V., & Muanprasat, C. (2008b). Stevioside and related compounds: Therapeutic benefits beyond sweetness. Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 121(1), 41–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2008.09.007
[5] Kroyer, G. (2010). Stevioside and Stevia-sweetener in food: application, stability and interaction with food ingredients. Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, 5(2), 225-229.
[6] Hutapea, A. M., Toskulkao, C., Buddhasukh, D., Wilairat, P., & Glinsukon, T. (1997). Digestion of stevioside, a natural sweetener, by various digestive enzymes. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition, 23(3), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.3164/jcbn.23.177
[7] Takasaki, M., Konoshima, T., Kozuka, M., Tokuda, H., Takayasu, J., Nishino, H., Miyakoshi, M., Mizutani, K., & Lee, K. (2008). Cancer preventive agents. Part 8: Chemopreventive effects of stevioside and related compounds. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 17(2), 600–605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2008.11.077
Editorial Team:
- Rafi Rif'atul Rizki, S.I.Kom.