Stevioside as A low caloric sweetener to milky drink and its protective role against oxidative stress in diabetic rats

Abstract

Stevioside is a natural sweetener extract from the plant Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Stevioside was used in traditional medicine among Indian community in Brazil for the treatment of diabetes. The present study aimed to investigate the safety of stevioside as natural sweetener substitute sugar in a dairy product needed by those suffering from diabetes and its protctive role against oxidative stress exerted by hyperglycemia. The antibacterial activity of stevioside showed no effect on the pathogenic bacteria namely S. aureus, S. typhomuium and E. coli as well as lactic acid bacteria. In the present study hyperglycemia was induced by i.p. injection of alloxan in two successive doses (70 mg/kg b.w. eash / day to rats preadministered stevioside in two different doses (640 mg/kg b.w. and 1.280 g/kg b.w.) for eight weeks. The following investigations were carried out, glucose tolerance test, blood glucose, blood glutathione, MDA, erythrocyte SOD and transminases. The histopathological examinations were performed at the end of the experimental period. The results obtained in this study assessed the safety and protective role of stevioside as a natural sweetener substitute sugar in a dairy product.