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Effect of the Stevioside and of the aqueous extract of Stevia Rebaudiana (BERT) Bertoni on the glycemia of normal and diabetic rats

By: Professor Carlos Eduardo Pinheiro, Presented to the II Brazilian Convention on Stevia rebaudiana (Bert) Bertoni - September 1982

Translated by: Oscar Rodes, 3511 Lake Champlain, Arlington, Texas
Carlos Eduardo Pinheiro


The hypoglycemic action of the aqueous extract of the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana has been evaluated in human beings and in normal or diabetics laboratory animals. Von Schmeling et al. (1977) reported the hypoglycemic action of the aqueous extract of Stevia, administered via tubing to diabetics rabbits, in the dose of 12 mg/kg of body weight. No effect was observed in normal rabbits.

Pinheiro and Gasparini (1981) observed a slight decline, followed by an increase of the glycemia in normal rabbits injected endovenously with solution of stevioside, in the dose of 7 mg/kg of body weight. A slight hypoglycemia was verified in diabetics rabbits, under the same conditions.

No effect on the glycemia was observed in dogs injected endovenously with aqueous extract of Stevia (Miguel, l960).

In relation to human beings, contradictory results were reported. Miguel (1966) observed the decline of the glycemia of diabetic patients after 14 months of treatment with aqueous extract of Stevia in the dose of 800 mg/kg per day. Alvarez et al. (1981) observed a reduction of the glycemic curve in normal individuals treated with the aqueous extract during 4 days.

On the other hand, Boeckh and Humboldt (1978) reported an increase of the glycemic curve in normal individuals treated with the aqueous extract of Stevia in the dose of 200 mg/day during four weeks.

In view of the differing results present in the literature, is of interest to obtain more information about the possible hypoglycemic action of the stevioside and the aqueous extract of the Stevia.

In this work approximately 150 adult male rats were utilized (250 - 300 g). The diabetes was produced by endovenous injection of monohydrated alloxan in the dose of 60mg/kg of body weight. It was utilized , both for the endovenous injection and for the gastric tubing, aqueous extract of Stevia at 12% and/or stevioside at 0.8%, both dissolved in NaCl 0.9%.

The results obtained allows us to confirm that, both the stevioside and the aqueous extract of Stevia endovenously injected or administered via tubing, did not produce any significant effect on the glycemic levels of normal and diabetic rats