Agronomical and biotechnological strategies for modulating biosynthesis of steviol glycosides of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni

Abstract

Steviol glycosides (SGs), the diterpenoids group of plant secondary metabolites, possess phytopharmaceutical properties. Steviol glycosides are principally obtained from the stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) plant, which belongs to the Asteraceae family. Nowadays SGs are mainly used in the food and beverage industries as a non-caloric natural sweetener, which is about 300 times sweeter than sucrose. Among the known SGs, stevioside, and rebaudioside-A are the most abundant in the stevia leaf. Recent studies have shown that agronomic and biotechnological factors principally govern the accumulation of SGs in stevia plants. Therefore, to meet the burgeoning demand for SGs, efforts have been made to modulate the biosynthesis of these bioactive compounds in stevia using different agronomic and biotechnological strategies. In this review, we lucidly discussed agronomic and biotechnological approaches that stimulate and enhance the biosynthesis of SGs in stevia. Detailed mechanistic information could support us in making a plan for the production of SGs through stevia cultivation. We also outline some promising areas for future research that would inspire studies aiming to understand the consequence of interaction effects among the environmental and agronomic factors for the biosynthesis of SGs.