The present invention relates generally to steviol glycosides, as well as compositions comprising such steviol glycosides. The present invention further extends to methods of preparing and purifying such steviol glycosides and methods for enhancing the flavor or sweetness of consumables using these steviol glycosides and compositions. The present invention extends to consumables comprising steviol glycosides, where the such steviol glycosides are present in a concentration at or below their sweetness recognition threshold, and wherein such steviol glycosides enhance the sweetness of the consumable.

The invention describes sweetening compositions and methods to prepare sweetening compositions containing steviol glycosides, salts, and other natural or synthetic sweeteners with improved solubilities and sensory profiles.

Novel steviol glycoside compounds characterized by a first group of four glucopyranose residues attached via the number 13 carbon (C13) of the steviol moiety and a second group of two or three glucopyranose residues attached via the number 19 carbon (C19) of the steviol moiety are described, and exemplified by compounds 1-4. These compounds can be present in a composition with other steviol glycosides (e.g., Reb D and Reb M) to enhance their solubilities. Accordingly, the novel compounds can facilitate the preparation of aqueous compositions having a higher concentration of steviol glycosides. A steviol glycoside composition including one or more of compounds 1-4 can be used as a sweetener composition to sweeten other compositions (sweetenable compositions) such as foods, beverages, medicines, oral hygiene compositions, nutraceuticals, and the like.

Compositions and consumables comprising certain sweeteners and at least one dihydrochalcone of Formula I are provided herein, wherein the at least one sweetener is selected from certain steviol glycoside and/or mogroside sweeteners in sweetening amounts. The at least one dihydrochalcone enhances the sweetness of the consumable and optionally modulates one or more taste attributes to make the consumable taste more like a sucrose-sweetened consumable. Methods of enhancing the sweetness of a consumable, methods of making a consumable taste more like a sucrose-sweetened consumable and methods of preparing consumables are also detailed herein.

##STR00001##

The invention describes products, uses thereof, compositions thereof, and methods to prepare products formed from Maillard reaction products from a sugar donor and/or sweet tea extracts, stevia extracts, swingle (mogroside) extracts, one or more sweet tea extract components, one or more steviol glycosides, one or more mogrosides, one or more glycosylated sweet tea glycosides, one or more glycosylated steviol glycosides or one or more glycosylated mogrosides and an amine donor/reactant.

The invention describes a stevia sweetener with improved solubility in an aqueous solution for convenience of use in the food and beverage industry.

Stevia compositions are prepared from steviol glycosides of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni. The compositions are able to provide a superior taste profile and can be used as sweetness enhancers, flavor enhancers and sweeteners in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

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.

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.

Novel diterpene glycosides isolated from Stevia are provided herein. Compositions and consumables comprising the novel diterpene glycosides are also provided herein. Methods of enhancing the sweetness and/or flavor of consumables using the novel diterpene glycosides, methods of preparing compositions and consumables comprising the novel diterpene glycosides and methods of purifying the novel diterpene glycosides are also provided.