Constituent of Stevia rebaudiana (stevia). Sweetening agent which is 300 times sweeter than sucrose. Stevia rebaudiana is extensively cultivated in Japan, and Stevioside is a permitted sweetener in that country
Rebaudioside B, D, and E may also be present in minute quantities; however, it is suspected that rebaudioside B is a byproduct of the isolation technique. The two majority compounds stevioside and rebaudioside, primarily responsible for the sweet taste of stevia leaves, were first isolated by two French chemists in 1931.
belongs to the class of organic compounds known as steviol glycosides. These are prenol lipids containing a carbohydrate moiety glycosidically linked to a steviol (a diterpenoid based on a 13-Hydroxykaur-16-en-18-oic acid) moiety.
