Abstract

JARMA O., Alfredo de Jesús; COMBATT C., Enrique Miguel  and  CLEVES L., José Alejandro. Nutritional aspects and metabolism of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni). A review. Agron. colomb. [online]. 2010, vol.28, n.2, pp.199-208. ISSN 0120-9965.

Stevia is a subtropical wild plant of the upper Parana river, native of the northwest of the province of Missions in Paraguay. The plant contains a potent sweetener that is 300 times stronger than sucrose and supplies no calories. The molecules that determine this feature are diterpene glycosides, which are present in the leaves and, at least during the first stages, are synthesized from mevalonate, following the same path as gibberellic acid. Studies on mineral nutrition in stevia are scarce. They are circumscribed indeed to those conducted in Brazil by Malavolta and collaborators. In Colombia, the scientific studies about the topic are limited to some works by Universidad de Córdoba and Corpoica dealing with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. In this framework, the current work reviews the synthesis path of the main edulcorants produced by this plant, discusses the important role played by certain minerals in this process, and based on studies conducted in Brazil and Colombia, analyzes the most important nutritional aspects of this species.

Keywords : stevia; edulcorant; mineral nutrition; secondary metabolism.

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