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What gives stevia its sweetness? Scientists uncover the genetic secret

Phys · · 603 words · By University

Researchers from the University of Toyama have identified specific glycosyltransferase genes and their cell-specific activity that determine the sweetness and flavor profiles of stevia. The study, published in New Phytologist, suggests these findings could lead to the development of better-tasting, low-sugar natural sweeteners for the food and beverage industry.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-stevia-sweetness-scientists-uncover-genetic.html

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10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

10 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 3
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified 1
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“Recent research conducted at the University of Toyama shows that stevia's sweetness is genetically linked to variations in specific glycosyltransferase genes and their cell-specific activity in leaves.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm research led by Professor Tsubasa Shoji at the University of Toyama regarding glycosyltransferase genes and the biosynthesis of steviol glycosides in stevia leaves.
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web search NEUTRAL — Disruptive genetic null variants in GT genes can lead to serious illness but benign phenotypes are also seen, including antigenic differences on the red blood cell (RBC) surface, giving rise to blood …
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29662110/
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web search NEUTRAL — Glycosylation of proteins, lipids and proteoglycans in human cells involves at least 167 identified glycosyltransferases (GTfs), and these orchestrate the biosynthesis of diverse types of glycoconjuga…
https://www.academia.edu/77374500/Glycosyltransferase_genes_…
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web search NEUTRAL — Surprising genetic switches linked to lupus. Because the researchers analysed the data cell by cell, they were able to spot sex-specific genetic variations that previous bulk studies had missed. They …
https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/05/researchers-un…
info
“Details of the study are published in the journal New Phytologist.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the research exists, the provided evidence does not mention the journal 'New Phytologist' or the specific publication date/DOI.
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web search NEUTRAL — Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University
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web search NEUTRAL — Ranked in the world’s top 100 young universities. The courses offered by UR are rated highly by students. The University of Rwanda is a public research university. University of Rwanda, University of …
https://ur.ac.rw/
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web search NEUTRAL — UVI offers an unmatched, culturally diverse experience with students from throughout the Caribbean, the U.S. mainland and countries worldwide.
https://www.uvi.edu/
verified
“stevia, which is sourced from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and other authoritative sources explicitly state that stevia is extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana.
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web search NEUTRAL — Stevia is a sweet sugar substitute that is about 50 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. It is extracted from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to areas of Paraguay and Brazil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
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web search NEUTRAL — stevia, (Stevia rebaudiana), flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae) grown for its sweet-tasting leaves.Stevioside, derived from the plant Stevia rebaudiana, has been used in Japan, Paraguay,…
https://www.britannica.com/plant/stevia-plant
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web search NEUTRAL — Stevia sweetener is a natural table-top sweetener based on Stevia Rebaudiana plant extract, standardized to a minimum of 95% Steviol glycosides – Rebaudioside A and Stevioside mixture.
https://www.eko-farm.com/eng/stevia-sweetener/
verified
“This plant produces steviol glycosides (natural sweet compounds) that can be up to 300 times sweeter than regular sugar.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and scientific studies confirm that Stevia rebaudiana produces steviol glycosides that can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
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web search NEUTRAL — In Stevia rebaudiana, the biosynthesis of the glucosides occurs only in green tissues. Steviol is first produced in the plastids and in the endoplasmic reticulum is glucosylated and glycosylated in th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol_glycoside
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web search NEUTRAL — Stevia rebaudiana leaf extracts contain stevioside and rebaudioside A, two steviol glycosides (SGs) used as natural sweeteners because of their non-toxic, thermally stable and non-caloric properties. …
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34861537/
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web search NEUTRAL — Stevia rebaudiana produces sweet steviol glycosides that are 300 times sweeter than sugar and have the beneficial effects on human health including anti-hyperglycaemic.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11033-018-4250-4
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“compounds like rebaudioside D and M (premium sweet molecules derived from stevia) are more desirable”
CORROBORATED
Evidence confirms that rebaudiosides (such as A, D, and M) are sweet molecules derived from stevia, with specific mentions of their high value and sweetness.
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web search NEUTRAL — Rebaudioside A (sometimes shortened to "Reb A") is a steviol glycoside from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana that is 240 times sweeter than sugar. [2] Rebaudioside A is the sweetest and most stable ste…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebaudioside_A
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web search NEUTRAL — Jul 20, 2025 · Rebaudioside A is a naturally occurring compound derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, which is native to South America. This molecule is one of several sweet-tasting …
https://biologyinsights.com/what-is-rebaudioside-a-and-is-it…
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web search NEUTRAL — Aug 29, 2020 · Rebaudioside A or reb A, the common stevia extract with the European food additive number E960. It is the most used steviol glycoside as a sugar substitute in food and beverage due to i…
https://foodadditives.net/natural-sweeteners/rebaudioside-a/
verified
“a new study led by Professor Tsubasa Shoji from the Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama”
VERIFIED
Multiple sources confirm Professor Tsubasa Shoji is at the Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama and led research on stevia biosynthesis.
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web search NEUTRAL — A research team led by Professor Tsubasa Shoji at the Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama—working in collaboration with RIKEN, Suntory Global Innovation Center Ltd., and Osaka Universi…
https://www.u-toyama.ac.jp/en-news/112677/
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web search NEUTRAL — Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama. No verified email - Homepage.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=zY5SF8QAAAAJ&hl=en
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web search NEUTRAL — May 2019. Tsubasa Shoji. Plants produce a vast array of structurally diverse specialized metabolites with various biological activities, including medicinal alkaloids and terpenoids, from relatively s…
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tsubasa-Shoji-2
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“We identified a group of UGT76G glycosyltransferase genes that play a key role in enhancing the sweetness.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify UGT76G genes (specifically UGT76G1 and UGT76G4) as key glycosyltransferases in the biosynthesis of sweet steviol glycosides.
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web search NEUTRAL — A key glycosyltransferase, UGT76G4, was identified and characterized as responsible for converting Rebaudioside D to Rebaudioside M in Stevia rebaudiana. UGT76G4 shows regioselectivity for the C19 pos…
https://phys.org/news/2025-09-key-enzyme-high-natural-sweete…
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web search NEUTRAL — Comparison of uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferase UGT76G1 genes from some varieties of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1021443717010034
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web search NEUTRAL — The diterpene glycosyltransferase UGT76G1, derived from Stevia rebaudiana, plays a pivotal role in the biosynthesis of rebaudioside A, a natural sugar substitute. Nevertheless, its potential for indus…
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38057441/
info
“the researchers found that UGT91D4 was active only in a specific group of cells within the leaf, particularly in the mesophyll (inner photosynthetic tissue) and the epidermal cells (outer protective cells).”
SINGLE SOURCE
While UGT genes are discussed, the specific claim that UGT91D4 is active specifically in the mesophyll and epidermal cells is not confirmed in the provided evidence; one source mentions UGT91D2 but not the cell-specific activity of UGT91D4.
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web search NEUTRAL — By coexpressing multiple stevia UGT genes in N. benthamiana, we successfully produced highly glucosylated SGs from steviol. Our results provide insights into the substrate specificity of UGT91D2 and c…
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39783863/
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web search NEUTRAL — Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. This empowers people to learn from each other…
https://www.quora.com/
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web search NEUTRAL — Human actin genes are single copy for alpha-skeletal and alpha-cardiac actin...
https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tmcb20
help
“The study also suggested that small genetic differences, known as haplotypes, may help explain why sweetness-related genes work differently among stevia varieties.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding haplotypes explaining sweetness variation in stevia.
help
“Multi-Omics Dissection of Steviol Glycoside Synthesis Reveals Haplotype-Linked Specialization of UGT76G Genes in Stevia rebaudiana, New Phytologist (2026). DOI: 10.1111/nph.71191”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found to confirm the specific title, 2026 publication date, or DOI provided in the claim.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.