A Stevia extract made from leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant is described. The extract has desired levels of steviol glycosides and is useful in food, beverage, and other consumable products.

Steviol glycosides compositions are prepared from Stevia rebaudiana extracts. The compositions are able to provide a superior taste profile and can be used as sweeteners, sweetness enhancers, flavors, and flavor enhancers in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

The present disclosure generally relates to various formulations and uses of the compound Isomogroside IV.sub.E. In some aspects, the disclosure provides compositions that include Isomogroside IV.sub.E. In some embodiments, the compositions are comestible compositions, including, but not limited to, packaged food and beverage products and tabletop sweeteners. In some aspects, the disclosure provides certain compositions that include such mogroside compounds, such as compositions that include such mogroside compounds and one or more other sweeteners. In some other aspects, the disclosure provides methods of reducing the caloric content of a sweetened article, such as a sweetened food or beverage product.

##STR00001##

Methods of preparing highly purified steviol glycosides, particularly steviolmonoside, steviolmonoside A, steviolbioside, steviolbioside D, rubusoside, steviolbioside A, steviolbioside B, rebaudioside B, stevioside, rebaudioside G, stevioside A, stevioside B, stevioside C, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside E, rebaudioside E2, rebaudioside E4, rebaudioside E6, rebaudioside E3, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside 1, rebaudioside AM, rebaudioside D7, rebaudioside M, rebaudioside M4, rebaudioside 1a, rebaudioside 1b, rebaudioside 1c, rebaudioside 1d, rebaudioside 1e, rebaudioside 1f rebaudioside 1g, rebaudioside 1h, rebaudioside 1i, rebaudioside 1j, rebaudioside 1k, rebaudioside 1l, rebaudioside 1m, rebaudioside 1n, rebaudioside 2a and/or SvG7 are described. The methods include utilizing enzyme preparations and recombinant microorganisms for converting various staring compositions to target steviol glycosides. The highly purified steviol glycosides are useful as non-caloric sweetener, flavor enhancer, sweetness enhancer, and foaming suppressor in edible and chewable compositions such as any beverages, confectioneries, bakery products, cookies, and chewing gums.

The present invention relates to a tea beverage that contains (a) an amount of a natural sugar corresponding to a sweetness intensity X1, (b) an amount of a high-sweetness sweetener corresponding to a sweetness intensity X2, (c) less than 50 mg of sodium per 100 ml of said tea beverage, and (d) 0.1-32 mg of potassium per 100 ml and/or 0.1-32 mg of calcium per 100 ml of said tea beverage. The high-sweetness sweetener includes at least one high-sweetness sweetener b1 selected from the group consisting of rebaudioside M, rebaudioside D, rebaudioside N, rebaudioside O, rebaudioside E, a Siraitia grosvenorii extract, mogroside V, and thaumatin. The tea beverage satisfies 0.1<(X1+X2)≤20.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing lower graft degree GSGs, and belongs to the technical field of biosynthesis of sweeteners. The method uses amylase to catalyze hydrolysis of GSGs with a high graft degree, thereby obtaining GSGs with low graft degree mainly containing GSGs with a low grafting number. The content of mono- and di-glucosyl substituents in the SGs in the product was 60% or more of the total glycosides, and the mass percent of the GSGs with a glucosyl grafting number of 3 or less was higher than 70% of the total glycosides. The mono- and di-substituted GSGs obtained by enzyme catalysis by the present invention were structurally similar to those, belong to a mixture of the isomers thereof, and have good sweetness and a flavoring function.

The present invention relates to the use of a compound according to formula (I) ##STR00001## in the form of any one of its stereoisomers or a mixture thereof, and wherein n is an integer from 0 to 2; the dotted line represents a carbon-carbon single or double bond; and each of R.sup.1 to R.sup.4, when taken independently from each other, represents a hydrogen atom or represents a R.sup.5 or OR.sup.5 group, R.sup.5 representing a C.sub.1 to C.sub.5, or even a C.sub.1 to C.sub.3, alkyl group; and optionally one of the groups R.sub.1 to R.sub.4 represents —OH; and/or when R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are taken together, and/or R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are taken together, represent a OCH.sub.2O group, provided said groups taken together are adjacent substituents of the phenyl group;
as an ingredient in combination with other ingredients to confer, enhance, improve or modify the kokumi or umami taste of a flavored article.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for improved production of steviol glycosides in a host cell. In some embodiments, the host cell is genetically modified to comprise a heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding a Setaria italica UDP-glycosyltransferase 40087 or its variant UDP-glycosyltransferase. In some embodiments, the host cell is genetically modified to comprise a heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding a UDP-glycosyltransferase sr.UGT_9252778, Bd_UGT10850, and/or Ob_UGT91B1 like. In some embodiments, the host cell further comprises one or more heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding further enzymes of a pathway capable of producing steviol glycosides in the host cell. The compositions and methods described herein provide an efficient route for the heterologous production of steviol glycosides, including but not limited to, rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M.

This application relates to a sweetening composition and a preparation method and use thereof. The method includes steps of obtaining mesophyll fragments of Rubus suavissimus S. Lee, extracting with water as a solvent, removing phenolic hydroxyl-containing components, concentrating, purifying, and water-phase crystallization to obtain a sweetening composition. The sweetening composition is white in color, with unobvious bitterness astringent taste. The sweetening composition contains 50% to 99% of Rubusoside based on a dry weight, and has an absorbance of less than 0.4 at a wavelength of 270 to 370 nm after being dissolved and prepared into an aqueous solution (with a solid content of 1%, w/w). By removing bitter glycosides and phenolic hydroxyl-containing components, this application makes the flavor of the sweetening composition better. In the preparation process of the sweetening composition of the this application, only purified water is used and no organic solvents are used.

Sweetener and flavor compositions with improved taste profiles are disclosed. Also disclosed are methods of making and methods of using such sweetener and flavor compositions.