Stevia Is a Source for Alternative Sweeteners
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Stevia is a source for alternative sweeteners: potential medicinal effects MARÍA HERRANZ-LÓPEZ1, ENRIQUE BARRAJÓN-CATALÁN1, RAÚL BELTRÁN-DEBÓN2, JORGE JOVEN2, VICENTE MICOL1* Vicente Micol *Corresponding author 1. Universidad Miguel Hernández, Instituto de Biologia Molecular y Celular Avda. de la Universidad s/n., Elche (Alicante), E-03202, Spain 2. Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Centre de Recerca Biomèdica, Hospital Universitari de Sant Joan, IISPV C/Sant Joan s/n, Reus, 43201, Spain ABSTRACT: The leaves from Stevia rebaudiana have been used as a source for natural sweeteners for decades in several Asian countries. Stevioside, the major sweet compound from this plant, is 300 times sweeter than sucrose, but has a little bitter aftertaste. This may be overcome via a simple enzymatic modification or via the use of another less abundant diterpenoid glycoside, rebaudioside A, which is devoid of such effect. Stevia refined extracts have been used in the US since 1995 only in the dietary supplements market. In 2008, American FDA finally gave the approval for Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status to highly purified rebaudioside A. France also approved rebaudioside A for food and beverages in 2009. Most of the European Union countries are awaiting the EU approval on stevia products by 2011. Pharmacological studies show that all the glycosylated diterpenoids are degraded in the intestinal tract into their aglycone steviol, therefore this compound is considered the pharmacologically active form. Global authorities (JECFA) have set 4 mg/kg body weight as acceptable daily intake (ADI), expressed as steviol compound. Approval in other countries, however, will require further research on safety and toxicology of stevioside and related compounds. Unexpectedly, recent research suggests that stevioside and rebaudioside A may bear some therapeutic properties. Particularly, a decrease of postprandial glucose and glucagon levels as well as insulinotropic effects have been shown in several cellular and animal models. In human and animals, anti-hypertensive and immunomodulatory properties are also plausible. More recently, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of stevia-related compounds have significantly reduced the size of the Sweeteners atherosclerotic lesion in an animal model of metabolic syndrome. The increase of obesity in modern societies is driving consumer trends towards the use of non-caloric and natural sweeteners. Hence, a dramatic increase of the use of stevia- related sweeteners is expected in substitution of synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame or saccharine. Additionally, stevioside and rebaudioside A, may provide medicinal properties to reduce obesity and cardiovascular risk. KEYWORDS: alternative sweeteners, Stevia sp., stevioside, rebaudioside A, metabolic syndrome, obesity, atherosclerosis. vol 21 n 3 - INTRODUCTION SWEET COMPOUNDS FROM STEVIA SP. AND THEIR CHEMICAL PROPERTIES Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) is an herb from the May/June 2010 Asteraceae family commonly known as sweetleaf, The main compounds from stevia leaves are stevioside (5-10 - sugarleaf or simply stevia, which is originally native to percent dry weight) and rebaudioside A (2-4 South America. The leaves of this plant have been percentiterpenoid glycosides (1). Stevioside has glucosyl and traditionally used by native people in sophorosyl (diglucose with β, 1-2 South America as sweetener and in substitution) beta residues attached to industry hi-tech The increase of obesity in traditional medicine for centuries. In the aglycone steviol. Rebaudioside A the 1970s, Japan was the first country modern societies is driving contains an additional glucose bound OOD F which marketed stevioside consumer trends towards to the sophorosyl moiety through b, 1-3 gro containing additives as a food and glycosidic bond (Figure 1). Other minor A the use of non-caloric and pharmaceutical sweetener, followed diterpenoids in stevia are dulcoside A, by many other Asian countries such natural sweeteners stiviolbioside, and rebaudiosides B, C, D as China, Malaysia, Singapore, and E (2). These compounds have a Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. In the last decade USA, relatively high molecular weight (>800) and it is unlikely that Canada, Australia and New Zealand started allowing the may be absorbed in the intestine. However, bacterial use of Stevia sp. for nutritional supplements. Most of these intestinal flora of mammals, including humans, are able to countries together with some convert them into its aglycone, steviol European countries recently A dramatic increase of the (1, 3, 4). Whether this compound approved some highly purified represents the pharmacologically extracts from stevia for the food use of stevia-related active form is probable although category. Further unrestricted sweeteners is expected in debatable (5). Rebaudioside A, B, and approval as a food additive will substitution of synthetic D and stevioside show similar sweetness require comprehensive clinical sweeteners such as potency (300-350 fold sucrose), but studies in order to establish medicinal rebaudioside E and dulcoside are properties, to assess pharmacology aspartame or saccharine significantly less sweet. Stevioside, of pure active compounds and to dulcoside A, and rebaudiosides B and clarify some uncertainties about safety, with particular C have a slight bitter aftertaste (6), difficulting their use in attention to reproductive effects. some food applications but this has been solved for 38 stevioside through enzymatic processing (7). Rebaudioside saccharin and other synthetic sweeteners, from where its use A, however is naturally devoid of such unwanted effect. was spread to other Asian countries, especially Korea. Stevia was introduced in the USA market in the 1980’s, but its use was limited to dietary supplements for years while safety issues were further investigated. Finally, rebaudioside A was approved by FDA in December 2008 and rated Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for its use as a general-purpose sweetener in foods, excluding meat and poultry products. Approval has been also released in Russia, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand. It is therefore predictable that there will be considerable changes in technology and distribution of the raw material. Particularly, suppliers should be forced to select the best production technology to achieve consistency among batches and high compound purities. For instance, granulation seems to be a key step in the manufacturing process since the granulated form has a better performance than fine powder on beverages but that implies considerable investments in production technology. On the other hand, global providers and suppliers are already delineating a clear trend in the market of natural sweeteners exemplified by the manifested intention of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to abandon sucralose, favouring the use of rebaudioside A. Currently, the main distributors and brands for this compound are: PureCircle with RebA97, GLG Tech Corp. with Sweet Success, Cargill with Truvia Sweeteners (codeveloped with Coca-cola), Prodalsya with “Ultra Pure”, Figure 1. Chemical structure of the diterpenoid glycoside rebaudioside A Merisant with PureVia (codeveloped by PepsiCo), and containing the glycoside stevioside and the aglycone steviol. Monteloeder with RebA-Sweet and ETS-Sweet. The possible applications for stevia-derived products are broad: beverages, bakery, dairy products, sauces, table top DISTRIBUTION, LEGISLATION AND PROSPECTIVE ECONOMIC sweeteners, confectionery, food supplements, VALUE FOR STEVIA-DERIVED PRODUCTS pharmaceutical products and animal feeding. Companies like Coca-Cola (Truvia), PepsiCo (SoBe Life), etc., have Aspartame and saccharine are the main substitution targets already launched different products. Within the European for stevia-derived compounds. According Packaged Facts Union, the first products, especially beverages, containing A (PF), an US-based market research firm, the weight-loss stevia (97 percent rebaudioside A) are being launched in gro F efforts and other current determining factors are increasing France. In other European countries like Switzerland and non- OOD the global artificial sweeteners market to a predicted $3.2 European as Russia, Ukraine and Australia the produc t is billion by 2012. In 2008 (source Frost & Sullivan), such market already approved for food purposes since 2008. industry hi-tech was estimated to be close to $1.3 European advisors are still concerned billion. Sucralose has a leading position Stevia-derived products on several safety aspects which are with approximately a 36 percent of limiting the development of stevia- share, by value, in food applications. have been used in Asia for related compounds as a widely used - Data provided by Intelligence decades and presumably sweetener. Massive use in other May/June 2010 Information Resources Inc. for 52 weeks limitations in Europe and countries, however, suggests that this between March 2008 and March 2009, USA will disappear once will change in the near future. The US sales of sugar substitutes were European Food Safety Agency is roughly $372m, and those of sucralose established some safety expected to release a report on steviol - vol 21 n 3 represented $217m. In the same period concerns glycosides in 2010, which may of time, sales for saccharin and drastically change the use of stevia- aspartame were $48m and $37m, respectively. The market related products. Meanwhile, France has already approved for Stevia sp. is constantly growing in USA and sales