Abstract: A process for recovering diterpene glycosides from the Stevia rebaudiana plant includes the steps of sequentially extracting plant material with a first solvent of intermediate polarity to extract plant substances which tend to interfere with a liquid chromatographic separation of the glycosides, and then with a second solvent of high polarity to extract glycosides, and chromatographically separating the extracted glycosides by introducing them onto a liquid chromatography column having a packing of an oxygen-containing organic stationary phase covalently bonded through a silicon atom to an inorganic support, eluting them with a solvent of polarity higher than that of the first solvent but lower than that of the second solvent, and collecting individually eluate fractions rich in respective glycosides.

Abstract: A sweetening compound is recovered from Stevia rebaudiana plant material in the form of colorless crystals having 450 times the sweetness of sucrose. Sweetened products for oral ingestion are provided by admixing the sweetening compound with a foodstuff or a pharmaceutical. The sweetening compound is recovered from the plant material by extraction with water, concentration, extraction with an alkanol, chromatography, and collection of fractions rich in the compound, preferably followed by concentration of the rich fractions and recrystallization of the product.