摘要：Steviol glucosides, extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni native to Paraguay, are nearly 300 times sweeter than sucrose. There are eleven main glycosides in the stevia plant, which comprise up to 30% of the dry weight of the plant leave. Despite intense sweetness, non- caloric and suggested to exert beneficial effects on human health, resulted in their wide use as natural sweeteners in various foods all over the world. Steviol glycosides have additional qualities that are beneficial to manufacturers. They tend to maintain their sweetness during normal conditions of food processing and storage and are stable across a broad spectrum of manufacturing conditions. Today, stevia can be found in hundreds of food and beverage products from around the world including teas, soft drinks, juices, yogurt, soymilk, baked goods, cereal, salad dressings, confections and as a tabletop sweetener. In this review, the purpose of which is considered to highlight recent research in this area, the botanical aspects, health concerns of stevia consumption, the extraction methods and the use of steviol glucosides as sweeteners in foods are discussed.
