The increase of steviol glycosides in stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) through artificial polyploidy

Abstract

Stevia rebaudiana is a plant that produces secondary metabolites with diterpene glycosides, commonly called steviol glycosides, the Steviol glycosides as a low-calorie sweetener. Rebaudioside A and stevioside are steviol glycosides that are abundant in stevia leaves. Apart from being a sweetener, stevioside in stevia leaves has the potential as an anticancer. The obstacle to developing Stevia in Indonesia is the availability of stevia seeds of low quality, so a strategy is needed to improve the plants and increase the availability of quality stevia seeds. Artificial polyploid is one strategy for plant improvement, including increasing the production of secondary metabolites. This study aims to increase the content of steviol glycosides through artificial polyploidy using colchicine in tissue culture. The treatment was immersed in the explants in 100 mg.L-1 colchicine for 0, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. The results showed that soaking for 24 hours produced 13.63% mixoploid explants. The mixoploid explants produced the highest levels of rebaudioside A at 4.286% and the highest stevioside at 13.047%.