Stevia rebaudiana – A Functional Component for Food Industry

Abstract

AbstractStevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a natural herb native of northeastern Paraguay, cultivated as a cash crop in number of countries. There appears to be no large-scale mechanized production of stevia due to difficulties in producing the crop through seeds. The stevia leaves in its powder form is green in color, 10 – 15 times sweeter than sucrose with after taste bitterness. However, there are no studies reported on the use of stevia in food product formulation and development and other related aspects. Considering its sweetness potentia-lities and possible health implications, an investigation was focused and the results indicated that gram of stevia sweetness was perceived to be equivalent to 20g of sucrose and produced more than 40 seconds of sweetness stimulus. Per cent nutrient composition of stevia was found to be impressive with 269 Kcal, 9.8 g of protein, ash at 10.5 g and crude fiber at 18.4 g. Mineral composition indicated that presence of fairly good amount of calcium (464 mg), iron (...