Chemical Properties
Pure white crystalline powder, soluble in organic solvents such as methanol, ethanol, and DMSO, derived from stevia.
Uses
Has been proposed as non-nutritive sweetening agent.
Definition
ChEBI: Steviol is an ent-kaurane diterpenoid that is 5beta,8alpha,9beta,10alpha-kaur-16-en-18-oic acid in which the hydrogen at position 13 has been replaced by a hydroxy group. It has a role as an antineoplastic agent. It is a tetracyclic diterpenoid, a tertiary allylic alcohol, a monocarboxylic acid, a bridged compound and an ent-kaurane diterpenoid. It is a conjugate acid of a steviol(1-).
Health Hazard
Steviol has been reported to be mutagenic.Wide use of stevia in Japan for >30 years did not produce any known deleterious side effects. In Japan, enzymatically glycosylated blend of stevioside and rebaudioside A, which appears to impart a cleaner taste profile, is also available commercially.
Biochem/physiol Actions
Steviol is an inhibitor of hOAT1 and hOAT3 organic anion transporters. Human organic anion transporter hOAT1 belongs to a superfamily of organic anion transporters, which play critical roles in the body disposition of clinically important drugs including anti-HIV therapeutics, anti-tumor drugs, antibiotics, anti-hypertensives, and anti-inflammatories. Steviol is a useful tool for studying renal drug clearance.
