[ Steviol Glycoside ]
Any chemical compound, such as stevioside and rebaudioside, responsible for the sweet taste of the leaves of the tropical American stevia plant.
Stevia glycosides have been reported to be 30 to 320 times sweeter than sucrose. They are heat-stable, pH-stable, non-fermentable and a glycemic index of zero. They do, nonetheless, stimulate the insulin secretion via the pancreatic beta-cells.