Undoubtedly, the major advantage of the plant is the presence of steviol glycosides (an overall amount of 4–20% of the dry weight)which provide a sensation of sweetness up to 450 times more intense than that of sucrose. The amount of glycosides in different parts of the plant varies and is presented as follows (in descending order): leaves, fl owers, stalk, seeds and roots. Dwivedi claimed that the roots are the only organs that do not contain stevioside; however, the sweetness of the leaves is two twice as high as that in the inflorescence