Abstract
The complete separation and identification of mono-, di- and tri-α-glucosylated products from stevioside with soluble starch and cyclodextringlucosyltransferase were achieved. Evaluation of the sweetness of each product, in comparison with stevioside, revealed the remarkable improvement in both the intensity and character of sweetness of the products, which were mono- and di-glucosylated at the 13-O-β-sophorosyl moiety (4-hydroxyl group of the terminal β-glucosyl unit). Some decrease in the intensity of sweetness was observed for most of the other products, though the quality of taste of all the other products was significantly or slightly improved (Table I).
