Mechanism underlying the effect of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni glycosides as insulin-mimetic agents in a Glut-4 -expressing cell model

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a shrub belonging to the Asteraceae family, that has been used as non caloric, natural sweetener. Its leaves are characterized by a high content of sweet diterpenoid glycosides, mainly stevioside and rebaudioside A, which are responsible for the sweetener power, 200-300 times higher than sucrose. Although several in vivo studies suggest that Stevia glycosides exert also an antihyperglycemic activity, the mechanisms underlying this effect are still unclear. Therefore, the aim of the study was to deepen the knowledge about both the insulin-mimetic effect exerted by steviol glycosides and their potential antioxidant properties, since oxidative stress is strictly linked to diabetes. Taken together, the obtained results highlight the insulin-mimetic effect and the antioxidant properties exerted by steviol glycosides, suggesting their beneficial role in health maintenance and in the co-treatment of diabetes.