Dietary intervention with Stevia residue extracts alleviates impaired glucose regulation in mice

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Stevia residue extracts (SREs, i.e., SRE‐1 and SRE‐2) on impaired glucose regulation (IGR). ICR mice were fed with a high‐fat and high‐fructose diet (HFFD) to induce IGR. Glucose metabolism, serum lipid profiles, serum antioxidant status, and hepatic histopathological analysis by oil red O were analyzed. The bioactive compounds of SREs were identified by LC/MS/MS. Chemical analysis of SREs revealed the extracts to be good sources of chlorogenic acids and flavonoids. SRE‐1 significantly lowered blood glucose levels and improved glucose intolerance in HFFD‐induced IGR mice. Serum lipid profiles, antioxidant status, and liver fat accumulation were also improved by SRE‐1, especially at 200 mg/kg. The results suggest that SRE‐1‐enriched diet could ameliorate prediabetic associated metabolic disturbances by regulating glucose and lipid pathways. Moreover, SRE‐1 exerts its beneficial effect against IGR probably due to the presence of chlorogenic acids and flavonoids. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, an ancient perennial shrub of South America, produces steviol glycosides that are low calorie sweeteners, about 300 times sweeter than saccharose. In addition to steviol glycosides, S. rebaudiana contains other metabolites with bioactive potential, such as polyphenols. A large amount of byproduct is being formed during steviol glycosides extraction. Thus, there has been an increasing demand to exploit this polyphenol‐rich byproduct as food additives or nutraceuticals. Our study showed that SREs‐enriched diet has a variety of beneficial effects on HFFD‐induced IGR mice by regulating oxidative stress, glucose, and lipid metabolism. IGR refers to a metabolic status between normal glucose homeostasis and diabetes, and is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, SREs could be developed as functional foods or nutraceuticals to prevent many diseases associated with IGR.