CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE LEAVES

The leaves of stevia contain glycosides of which sweetening power, once cleansed, is situated between 250 and 400 times their equivalent in sugar. It is demonstrated that these compounds are synthetized in chloroplastes, on the other hand, the way the synthesis intervenes is not exactly known.

The most represented compounds are called in the scientific literature as follows:
- Stevioside (the most abounding)
- Rebaudiosides A to E (less plentiful but more sweetening than the stevioside - Rebaudioside A is the most plentiful rebaudiosides)
- Dulcoside A

These steviosides are present at the level of 5 in 22 % of the dry weight of the leaf of stevia. The return in stevioside depends on the quality of the selected plantations and on the conditions of culture: period of sunshine, ground, irrigation …
The literature uses regularly the figure of 10 % when we speak about average concentration of stevioside in the leaves of stevia.

Besides the previously mentioned steviosides, we also find in the leaves of stevia, essential oil, flavonoids, minerals, vitamins, tannins, calcium, zinc, potassium, magnesium, sodium, fluorine, fibers, chlorophyll, water and many other traces of constituents.

Please note: glycosides are not at present used as food ingredients in the EC for lack of having been able to bring the irrefutable proof of their non-toxicity.