need info on Stevia rebaudiana

[Carolyn M Wetzel]

I did a literature search about a year ago on Stevia rebaudiana, and found
quite a lot of articles related to the chemical constituents (especially
stevoside).  I suggest you search a literature database yourself, for
instance AGRICLOA, using the plant latin name or stevoside.  Another
newsgroup to consult is alt.folklore.herbs.  There have been some reports of
medical problems associated with use of Stevia, so I think I remember that
the FDA was planning to restrict its availability in the US (but I did not
keep up with that line of news, so you should check it out yourself). 
However, it seems that Stevia is widely used in Japan, Brazil, and some
other countries as a non-caloric sweetener.  I have some of the dried herb
myself, and can attest to its incredibly sweet taste!  
Best wishes, Carolyn

-- 
Carolyn M. Wetzel			cmwetzel at iastate.edu
Postdoctoral Research Associate		Tel. 515/294-7784
Department of Botany			Bessey Hall
Iowa State University			Ames, Iowa  50011-1020