Vol. 8, Issue 1 (2019)

Author(s):
Manish Kumar Verma, Naveen Kumar and Rishikant

Abstract:
Stevia is a perennial herb that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is a natural sweetener plant and estimated to be 300 times sweeter than cane sugar. Studies revealed that Stevia has been used throughout the world since ancient times for various purposes; for example, as a sweetener and a medicine. Stevia is a small perennial shrub that has been used for centuries as a bio-sweetener and for other medicinal uses such as to lower blood sugar. Stevia and its glycosdies possess therapeutic effects against several diseases such as cancer, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Studies have shown that steviol glycosides found in Stevia are not teratogenic, mutagenic. The present review provides a summary on the pharmacological properties of Stevia rebaudiana that might be relevant for the treatment of human and animal diseases.