candyleaf

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• candyleaf
• sweet-leaf-of-Paraguay

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Eupatorium rebaudianum
• Stevia rebaudiana

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, Stevia rebaudiana, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified within the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae, following the order Asterales. Finally, it is a member of the family Asteraceae and is identified under the genus Stevia.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, Stevia rebaudiana, exhibits a diverse geographical presence across several distinct regions. In South America, it is widely distributed throughout the country of Brazil, specifically within the West-Central and Southeast zones. Its range also extends into Southern South America, where it can be found in Paraguay. Beyond the Americas, the species has established a presence within the Indian Subcontinent, specifically in Bangladesh. These varied locations demonstrate the plant's ability to thrive in different subtropical environments.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Stevia rebaudiana is characterized by its adaptation to specific low-altitude environments, typically thriving within an elevational range that extends from 0 m to a maximum of 500 m AMSL. This species is predominantly found inhabiting the Cerrado (latu sensu) biome, where it has integrated into the unique ecological dynamics of these tropical savanna ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Cerrado (lato sensu)

Life history

The life history of Stevia rebaudiana is characterized by its nature as a perennial herb, meaning it can live for multiple years rather than completing its life cycle in a single growing season. In its natural habitat, the plant undergoes a continuous cycle of vegetative growth and seasonal development, often maintaining its presence in the soil through established root systems. While it is biologically perennial, its lifespan and growth patterns can be variable depending on environmental conditions, such as temperature, soil moisture, and light availability. Throughout its life, the plant progresses from a seedling stage through several stages of leafy vegetative expansion before eventually reaching reproductive maturity, at which point it produces flowering stalks to facilitate seed production and ensure the continuation of the species.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Stevia rebaudiana is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb that can transition into a shrubby habit. It is a terrestrial species, functioning as an independent organism without parasitic tendencies, and it is categorized as a self-supporting plant rather than a climber. The plant typically reaches a mean height of approximately 1 meter. As a non-woody, terrestrial plant, it lacks the structural rigidity of woody species, maintaining a herbaceous structure throughout its development.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height mean:

1 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Stevia rebaudiana is characterized by a complex metabolic framework designed for efficient photosynthesis and the synthesis of specialized secondary metabolites. As a C3 plant, its photosynthetic pathway involves the direct fixation of carbon dioxide through the Calvin cycle, primarily occurring within the mesophyll cells. A defining physiological feature of this species is its specialized metabolic pathway for the production of steviol glycosides, such as stevioside and rebaudioside A, which are synthesized through a series of enzymatic steps involving glucose conjugation to the steviol aglycone. These glycosides are subsequently sequestered in the vacuoles of leaf cells. Regarding its nutrient acquisition processes, Stevia rebaudiana does not possess a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria like Rhizobium; therefore, it is not a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the physiological mechanism to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms and must rely on the uptake of nitrates or ammonium from the soil. The plant's water relations and transpiration rates are tightly regulated by stomatal conductance to maintain turgor pressure and optimize the balance between carbon assimilation and water loss.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Stevia rebaudiana is primarily driven by biotic mechanisms, specifically through a pollination syndrome that relies on living organisms rather than abiotic factors. The plant's reproductive success is heavily dependent on insect-mediated pollination, which serves as the core strategy for transferring pollen between flowers. Within this framework, various insect vectors facilitate fertilization, with bees and other generalist insects playing a critical role in the pollination process. This reliance on biotic agents ensures the genetic exchange necessary for seed production and the continued propagation of the species within its natural habitat.

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Stevia rebaudiana has 4 reported plant parts identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, seed, stem.

Leaf

1. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
2. BioMed research international
3. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
4. Food chemistry
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Root

1. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB

Seed

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB

Chemicals

Stevia rebaudiana has 177 reported phytochemicals identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Stevioside, Steviol glycosides, Rebaudioside A, Flavonoids, Steviol.

Stevioside

1. Dr. Duke
2. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
3. 3 Biotech
4. Phytotherapy research : PTR
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Steviol glycosides

1. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Annals of African medicine

Rebaudioside A

1. Dr. Duke
2. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
3. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Pharmaceutical biology

Flavonoids

1. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
2. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Steviol

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Biochemical pharmacology
4. Protoplasma

CHLOROPHYLL B

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

POTASSIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. World journal of microbiology & biotechnology

Steviolbioside

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Biochemical pharmacology

chlorophyll a

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in plant science
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidants

1. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Stevia rebaudiana has 601 reported activities identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antihyperglycemic, Antidiabetic, Antihypertensive, Hepatoprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutricion hospitalaria
3. Frontiers in pharmacology
4. Annals of African medicine
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antihyperglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. BioMed research international
3. Nutricion hospitalaria
4. Journal of food biochemistry

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Planta medica
3. Journal of food biochemistry

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutricion hospitalaria
3. Planta medica

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Frontiers in pharmacology
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Antimicrobial

1. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
2. Contemporary clinical dentistry

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of food biochemistry

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Contemporary clinical dentistry

Immunomodulator

1. Dr. Duke
2. Food science & nutrition

Nephroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of food biochemistry

Conditions

Stevia rebaudiana has 36 reported investigations on conditions identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include obesity, blood pressure, blood sugar, cancer, metabolic syndrome.

Obesity

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Indian journal of experimental biology
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Blood pressure

1. Nutricion hospitalaria
2. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Blood sugar

1. 3 Biotech
2. International journal of food sciences and nutrition

Cancer

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences

Metabolic syndrome

1. Nutricion hospitalaria
2. International journal of nanomedicine

Weight gain

1. Nutricion hospitalaria
2. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Antihypertensives

1. Planta medica

Candida albicans

1. Contemporary clinical dentistry

Ldl-cholesterol

1. BioMed research international

Staphylococcus aureus

1. Contemporary clinical dentistry

Preparations

Stevia rebaudiana has 19 reported preparations identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include aqueous extract, AgNPs, S. rebaudiana aqueous extracts, SRP70-1, Stevia rebaudiana extracts.

Aqueous extract

1. BioMed research international
2. Molecular biology reports

Agnps

1. Contemporary clinical dentistry

S. rebaudiana aqueous extracts

1. Biochemical pharmacology

Srp70-1

1. Food chemistry

Stevia rebaudiana extracts

1. World journal of microbiology & biotechnology

Total aqueous extracts of the leaves

1. Biochemical pharmacology

Dichloromethane leaves extracts

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Ethanolic leaves extracts

1. Asian Pacific journal of tropical medicine

Extract

1. Journal of food biochemistry

Extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR