MEDICINAL PROSPECTIVE AND FLORAL BIOLOGY OF CANDY LEAF (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni)
- Laboratory of Ethnobotany and Plant Taxonomy, Department of Botany, Udai Pratap College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India-221002
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Stevia is one of the most important genus of the tribe Eupatoriae of family Asteraceae. Out of 230 species of the genus, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is one of them produce sweet steviol glycoside. Flowers are arranged in head with five tubular florets surrounded by five involucrate bract. Plant is major source of high potency sweetener which produces sweet taste but has no calorific value and at the same time aerial parts of S. rebaudiana were used to treat diabetes. It is used as antitumor, anticancerous, antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, anti-diarrheal, anti-oxidant, prevents dental caries and having enzyme inhibitory activities. It also enhances flavor. Chemical and biological properties are studied by some scientists. Several countries including India have started its commercial cultivation. In 2006, the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) announced a temporary Accepted Daily Intake (ADI) of stevioside of up to 5.0 mg/kg body weight (BW).
[Anjana Singh, Kasturi Singh, Prashant Singh and M.P. Singh (2015); MEDICINAL PROSPECTIVE AND FLORAL BIOLOGY OF CANDY LEAF (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) Int. J. of Adv. Res. 3 (Sep). 628-636] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com
