S. rebaudiana
has a greatpotential as a new agricultural crop since consumerdemand for health promoting foods is increasing, andproximate analysis has shown that
Stevia
also containssubstantial amounts of proteins, potassium, and otheressential nutrients.
Stevia
can be taken in as a carbohydratediet source without calories. This paper provides an over-view of structure and properties of stevioside, variousextraction techniques, applicability in food industry, andrecent technological advances achieved