Application Note: Determination of stevioside and rebaudioside A in stevia leaves, beverages and food additives using HPTLC-MS

High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HPTLC–MS) is a very useful analytical technique where samples can often be analysed with a minimum of sample preparation.

This is exemplified here through the determination of stevioside and rebaudioside in beverages and food additives. Rebaudioside A and stevioside are the main ingredients of stevia plant extract. Rebaudioside A is the sweetest, least bitter glycoside of stevia plants. Therefore, in stevia products, a high proportion of rebaudioside A is desirable. As of today, a purity of 98 percent is the highest possible concentration of rebaudioside A in stevia products.