Stevioside: A natural sweetener having potential of controlling glucose levels in diabetic patients

Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) containing stevioside is a natural sweetener, which has antihyperglycemic property. The plant can also be used for treatment of number of ailments like hypertension and obesity. This article serves about structural details, biosynthetic pathway, toxicology and pharmacological action of stevioside in glucose metabolism. The metabolism of stevioside is also discussed in relation to possible formation of steviol. Toxicological studies reveal negligible effect of stevioside on human health. It concludes that stevioside is very much suited as sweetening agent for diabetic patients as it tends to potentiate the insulin secretion as well as for obese persons intending to lose weight. So far no allergic reactions have been documented with the use of stevioside.