Candy Leaf (Stevia Rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni), a plant recognized for its natural non-caloric sweetening characteristics, also has therapeutic properties for diseases like endocrine, metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular diseases due to its effect on cellular signaling system, reveals a new study.
The research published in the journal “Food Bioscience” has identified Stevia’s potential and identified new targets for immunological endocrine and cardiovascular problems.
Researchers have alluded that the plant could have therapeutic effect on diabetes, type 1, type 2, autoimmune diabetes, pre-diabetes, chronic inflammation related auto immune disease – rheumatoid arthritis; chronic kidney diseases and cardiovascular diseases like hypertension; vasculopathy and so on.
A team of researchers at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) in Guwahati, an autonomous institute of Department of Science and Technology including Dr. Asis Bala, Associate. Professor, Prof. Ashis K. Mukherjee, Director, and Ms. Piyali Devroy, Research Scholar did pioneering research on Stevia’s medicinal properties, effects on cellular signalling mechanisms to prove the Assam’s Stevia’s therapeutic qualities.
Candy leaf could have therapeutic effect on diabetes, type 1, type 2, autoimmune diabetes, pre-diabetes, chronic inflammation related auto immune disease – rheumatoid arthritis; chronic kidney diseases and cardiovascular diseases like hypertension; vasculopathy and so on.
Their multimodal strategy integrated network pharmacology with in vitro and in vivo techniques, showing that the plant used phosphorylation of Protein Kinase C (PKC) to inhibit a crucial cellular signaling route.
PKC is connected to inflammatory, autoimmune, endocrine, and cardiovascular illnesses. Stevia suppresses PKC phosphorylation, which alters downstream pathways that cause inflammation, a significant cause of endocrine metabolic and cardiovascular issues.
The study shows Stevia’s promise in this field for the first time and also found that active stevia molecules strongly interact with AMPK, highlighting the need for additional research. This finding illuminates an undiscovered facet of Stevia, underlining the necessity of creative tactics and scientific data to support traditional therapeutic practices.
Currently, Assam exports Stevia worldwide. The North Eastern Council (Government of India) has also highlighted stevia cultivation’s potential to help the northeast Indian economy due to high demand and use.