Stevioside compositions with improved solubility

Abstract

The invention relates to a stevioside composition, which comprises at least one stevioside and at least one of siamenoside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E and mogroside II-E, and is characterized in that the stevioside composition comprises at least one stevioside and at least one of siamenoside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E and mogroside II-E; wherein the stevioside has a higher solubility in the composition than in an equivalent composition lacking siamenoside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, and mogroside II-E. The invention also relates to a method for preparing the stevioside composition. The composition may be an aqueous solution.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefits of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 515,997, filed July 27, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 564,766, filed March 13, 2024, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Technology

[0003] Sugars such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose are used to provide a pleasant taste in beverages, foods, pharmaceuticals, and oral hygiene / cosmetic products. While sucrose provides excellent sweetness, it also contains calories. In the food and beverage industry, efforts to reduce calorie sugars in products are ongoing as consumers seek low-calorie alternatives to high-calorie products. While sugar substitutes can provide sweetness, there can be limitations to their use. For example, consumers may find that the sensory and temporal properties of sugar substitutes differ from those found in calorie sweeteners such as glucose, sucrose, and / or fructose. These sensory properties limit the use of sugar substitutes in products, and these limitations increase with increasing sugar substitute concentration. Furthermore, the chemical and physical properties of sugar substitutes may differ from those of calorie sweeteners.

[0004] Steviosides are a class of sweet-tasting glycosylated diterpenoids, often derived from the leaves of the stevia (Steviarebaudiana). Various compounds of this class are known, each with distinct properties, flavor profiles, and chemical structures. Typical steviol glycosides are characterized by a single steviol skeleton and one or more carbohydrate residues at C13 and C19. For example, lebodiin A contains a branched group with three glucosyl groups at C13 and a single β-glucosyl group at C19, while lebodiin D contains the same unit at C13 but a disaccharide group at C19. Steviosides can be used as potent sweeteners even at low concentrations, providing a sweetening effect approximately 150 to 450 times that of an equivalent amount of sugar.

[0005] Steviol glycosides provide calorie-free alternatives to traditional calorie sweeteners such as sugar, glucose, sucrose, and / or fructose. While steviol glycosides have a higher sweetness intensity than sugars, they are not very soluble in water. This limits the use of steviol glycosides in a variety of consumer products, especially those attempting to use the highest concentrations of steviol glycosides.

[0006] The sweetener composition needs further improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This disclosure provides steviol glycoside compositions and methods for sweetening food or beverage products.

[0008] This disclosure provides an aqueous steviol glycoside solution comprising one or more steviol glycosides; and mogroside selected from the group consisting of symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, and combinations thereof; wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.5:1 and 4:1. The solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the aqueous solution may be higher than their solubility in an equivalent aqueous solution lacking mogroside. The steviol glycosides may comprise one or more of resorcinol A, resorcinol B, resorcinol C, resorcinol D, resorcinol J, resorcinol M, resorcinol N, and resorcinol O. The steviol glycosides may comprise resorcinol D and resorcinol M. The total steviol glycosides in the aqueous solution may contain 50% to 90% by weight of rebaudioside M and 1% to 25% by weight of rebaudioside D. The total steviol glycosides in the aqueous solution may contain less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside A, less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside B, and / or less than 5% by weight of steviol glycosides. The aqueous solution may contain at least 0.25%, at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, at least 1.0% by weight, at least 1.5% by weight, at least 2.0% by weight, or at least 2.5% by weight of steviol glycosides.

[0009] Mogrosides may contain symbioside I and mogroside III-E. Total mogrosides in an aqueous solution may contain at least 75% symbioside I. Total mogrosides in an aqueous solution may contain 5% to 20% by weight of mogroside III-E. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides may be between 0.1:1 and 1:1, and the aqueous solution shall be soluble for at least 3 days when stored at 23°C.

[0010] Mogrosides may comprise a mogroside core and four or more glycosides, such as mogroside V, symmenidine I, or combinations thereof. Total mogrosides in an aqueous solution may contain at least 95% by weight mogroside V. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides may be between 0.1:1 and 5:1, and the aqueous solution shall be soluble for at least one day when stored at 23°C. The aqueous solution may be acidic, with a weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides between 0.5:1 and 1:1, and the solution shall be soluble for at least 14 days at 23°C.

[0011] This article also describes beverages, beverage products and food products that contain the aqueous solutions and / or sweeteners described herein.

[0012] This disclosure also provides a method for improving the solubility of steviol glycosides in an aqueous solution, the method comprising adding one or more steviol glycosides and mogrosides to an aqueous solution, thereby forming an aqueous steviol glycoside solution, wherein the mogrosides are selected from the group consisting of symmenidine I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, and combinations thereof; wherein the one or more steviol glycosides have a higher solubility in the aqueous steviol glycoside solution than in an equivalent aqueous solution lacking mogrosides. After addition, the aqueous solution may be stirred until the total steviol glycosides and total mogrosides are dissolved. The solution may be stirred at a temperature of 50°C or higher, 60°C or higher, 70°C or higher, 75°C or higher, or 80°C or higher. The steviol glycosides may comprise one or more of resorcinol A, resorcinol B, resorcinol C, resorcinol D, resorcinol J, resorcinol M, resorcinol N, and resorcinol O. Steviosides may comprise rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M. Total steviol glycosides in an aqueous solution may comprise 50% to 90% by weight of rebaudioside M and 1% to 25% by weight of rebaudioside D. Total steviol glycosides in an aqueous solution may comprise less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside A, less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside B, and / or less than 5% by weight of steviol glycosides. When at room temperature, the aqueous solution may contain at least 0.25% by weight, at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, at least 1.0% by weight, at least 1.5% by weight, at least 2.0% by weight, or at least 2.5% by weight of steviol glycosides (e.g., the concentration remains at the listed levels after stirring at an elevated temperature and then cooling to room temperature).

[0013] This disclosure also provides the use of mogroside for improving the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides selected from the group consisting of symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, and combinations thereof. Attached Figure Description

[0014] This patent or application contains at least one color-drawn drawing. A copy of this patent or patent application publication with a color drawing will be provided by the Patent Office upon request and payment of the necessary fees.

[0015] The accompanying figures illustrate, in a manner that is not restrictive, various aspects described herein.

[0016] Figure 1 The structure of symmenidine I is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 The structure of mogroside V is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 Solutions of mogroside V, levodoside M, and levodoside D at different concentrations are shown after 14 days of storage at room temperature.

[0019] Figure 4 The structure of mogroside II-E is shown.

[0020] Figure 5 The structure of mogroside III-E is shown.

[0021] Figure 6 The steady-state dissolution of mogrosides as outlined in Example 7 is shown.

[0022] Figure 7 The steady-state dissolution of steviol glycosides as outlined in Example 7 is shown. The horizontal solid line represents the solubility of the glycoside blend tested without the addition of mogroside or other solubilizing agents.

[0023] Figure 8 The variation in the amount of dissolved steviol glycosides with the addition of mogrosides, as outlined in Example 7, is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Reference will now be made specifically to certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein, examples of which are partially illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the disclosed subject matter will be described in conjunction with the enumerated claims, it should be understood that the illustrated subject matter is not intended to limit the claims to the disclosed subject matter.

[0025] In this document, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the terms "an," "a," or "the" are used to include one or more. Unless otherwise indicated, the term "or" is used to mean a non-exclusive "or." All publications, patents, and patent documents cited in this document are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if individually cited. In the event of any inconsistency between the usage in this document and those documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in the incorporated references shall be considered supplementary to the usage in this document; in the case of irreconcilable inconsistencies, the usage in this document shall prevail.

[0026] Values ​​expressed in range format should be interpreted flexibly to include not only the values ​​explicitly listed as limits of the range, but also all individual values ​​or subranges covered within the range, as if each value and subrange were explicitly listed. For example, a range of "about 0.1% to about 5%" or "about 0.1% to 5%" should be interpreted to include not only about 0.1% to about 5%, but also individual values ​​(e.g., 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and subranges (e.g., 0.1% to 0.5%, 1.1% to 2.2%, 3.3% to 4.4%) within the specified range. Unless otherwise stated, the statement "about X to Y" has the same meaning as "about X to about Y". Similarly, unless otherwise stated, the statement "about X, Y, or about Z" has the same meaning as "about X, about Y, or about Z".

[0027] Unless otherwise specified, ppm (parts per million), percentages, and ratios are based on weight. Percentages based on weight are also referred to below as weight% or (weight)%.

[0028] This disclosure relates to compositions containing steviol glycosides and one or more of symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, and mogroside II-E. Compositions containing symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, or combinations thereof have higher aqueous steviol glycoside solubility compared to the solubility of steviol glycosides in the absence of symbioside I, mogroside V, or combinations thereof. This disclosure also relates to methods for dissolving steviol glycosides in the presence of symbioside I and / or mogroside V.

[0029] Steviosides

[0030] The steviol glycoside component may contain one or more steviol glycosides. In some respects, the term steviol glycoside refers to Reb A (CAS# 58543-16-1), Reb B (CAS# 58543-17-2), Reb C (CAS# 63550-99-2), Reb D (CAS# 63279-13-0), Reb E (CAS# 63279-14-1), Reb EE (CAS# 63279-14-1), Reb F (CAS# 63279-14-1), 1,3-stevioside (Reb G or Reb G), Reb I (CAS# 63279-14-1), Reb J (CAS# 1313049-59-0), and Reb M (CAS# 63279-15-16-2). 1220616-44-3), RebN, RebO (CAS# 1220616-48-7), RebQ, RebV2, RebDG, Stevioside (CAS# 63849-39-4), Dulcoside A (CAS# 64432-06-0), Stevioside, 1,2-Steviol (CAS# 1220616-44-3), RebN, RebO (CAS# 63849-39-4), Stevioside A (CAS# 64432-06-0), Stevioside, 1,2-Steviol (CAS# 63849-39-4) 57817-89-7), steviol monoglycoside, steviol-13-monoglycoside, steviol-19-monoglycoside, steviol diglycoside, steviol-1,2-diglycoside (MassBank record: FU000299), steviol-1,3-diglycoside, steviol-13-O-glucoside (13-SMG), steviol-19-O-glucoside (19-SMG), OPS1-5 (corresponding to compound 4 from WO2016100689), 13-[(β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy)kaurose-16-en-18-oic acid 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-pD-glucopyranosyl ester, steviol glycosides having 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or more glycosides and their isomers. Further discussion of steviol glycosides can be found in Harriet Wallin et al., Steviol Glycosides, 84th JECFA - Chemical and Technical Assessment (2017) Food Agric. Org. Rebaudiosides can be used commercially available (from Cargill, Inc. (Wayzata, MN)). Rebaudiosides can be isolated and purified before use.

[0031] Steviosides are sometimes used as blends, such as blends of Reb D and Reb M. Such blends may be expressed as "Reb D / M" or "Reb D / M" and may include both Reb D / M. This terminology can be used for compositions containing any other combination of glycosides, such as, but not limited to, Reb D / G, Reb D / M / O, Reb N / O, Reb D / E, etc.

[0032] Structurally, steviol glycosides comprise a steviol backbone, and differ in the presence and arrangement of carbohydrate residues at positions C13 and C19 of the steviol backbone according to the atomic arrangement shown below. The pyranose residues represent groups R1 and R2 in the following formula:

[0033]

[0034] Steviosides differ not only in structure but also in their physical and sensory properties. Steviool is represented by the formula above when R1 and R2 are hydrogen atoms. Steviosides typically have the above formula, where steviol is the glycosidic aglycone backbone, and R1 and R2 can each be hydrogen atoms or one or more sugar moieties. These sugar moieties are most commonly glucose, rhamnose, or xylose, but steviol glycosides have been reported to include fructose and deoxyglucose moieties. Table 1 below shows the various steviol glycosides and their corresponding R1 and R2 groups:

[0035] Table 1 .

[0036]

[0037] Glu: glucose; Rha: rhamnose; Xyl: xylose

[0038] Steviosides differ not only structurally but also in their sensory properties. For example, steviol glycoside (containing three glucose units) and leboside A (containing four glucose units) are more abundant in stevia extract and possess specific sweetness properties. Both steviol glycoside and leboside A enhance sweetness but can also be perceived as exhibiting bitterness, particularly at higher concentrations. Leboside A exhibits a bitterness that intensifies with increasing concentration, which limits its use at higher concentrations (e.g., greater than 400 ppm).

[0039] Other steviol glycosides may include a greater number of glycosides and are present in stevia extract at much lower abundance. Such compounds are sometimes referred to as “minor” steviol glycosides, even when they are used as the main component in a composition. For example, so-called minor steviol glycosides may include rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M, both of which are present in stevia extract at lower abundance and have different sweetness properties than the more abundant steviol glycosides. Some of the sweetness properties of these minor steviol glycosides may be preferred compared to the major steviol glycosides. For example, rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M exhibit a reduced bitterness property compared to rebaudioside A. These reduced bitterness properties of rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M allow for a more favorable sensory experience and enable their use at higher concentrations. However, although the bitterness of rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M is reduced compared to rebaudioside A, the perception of bitterness can still be a limiting factor, especially at higher concentrations.

[0040] Furthermore, the chemical and physical properties of steviol glycosides can vary. For example, levocarnitin D has been reported to be difficult to use in food products due to its poor solubility and low dissolution in water at room temperature. For instance, levocarnitin D requires heating to near boiling point for 2 hours to achieve complete dissolution at a concentration of 0.8%. At 23°C, only 300 to 450 ppm are soluble in water at most (see, for example, US 2013 / 0251881). Similarly, levocarnitin M, obtained from stevia rebaudiana, exhibits poor water solubility and dissolution quality in beverage formulations (see, for example, US 2014 / 0171519). Some methods for improving the solubility of levocarnitin are less than ideal because they are labor-intensive and require high processing temperatures. See, for example, WO 2013148177. Low solubility and slow dissolution limit the use of steviol glycosides in a variety of consumer products, especially those that attempt to use the highest concentrations of steviol glycosides.

[0041] Composition

[0042] The steviol glycoside compositions discussed herein can be sweetener compositions or other compositions, such as food products containing steviol glycoside compositions. Although the following discussion refers to steviol glycoside compositions, it should be understood that the discussion also applies to sweetener compositions and other compositions, whether or not they are considered sweetener compositions.

[0043] The steviol glycoside compositions disclosed herein comprise one or more steviol glycosides and a solubility enhancer. The solubility enhancer improves the solubility of the one or more steviol glycosides in an aqueous solution. The solubility enhancer is mogroside, such as symmenidine I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, or combinations thereof. The solubility enhancer may be a mogroside having a mogroside backbone and four or more glycosides (e.g., symmenidine I and mogroside V). The one or more steviol glycosides may be selected from Reb A, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D, Reb J, Reb M, Reb N, Reb O, and combinations of two or more thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more steviol glycosides include Reb D. In some embodiments, the one or more steviol glycosides include Reb M. In some embodiments, one or more steviol glycosides comprise Reb D and Reb M. Additional steviol glycosides may also be included. In some embodiments, one or more steviol glycosides consist of or are substantially composed of Reb D and Reb M.

[0044] The steviol glycoside composition can be an aqueous solution. That is, one or more steviol glycosides are in solution, dissolved in water or other aqueous liquids. The steviol glycoside composition contains amounts of symmonoside I and / or mogroside V to improve the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the composition. The steviol glycoside composition may contain one or more steviol glycosides whose concentration would not be completely soluble in the aqueous solution in the absence of symmonoside I or mogroside V. Based on the weight of the aqueous solution, one or more steviol glycosides may be present in the steviol glycoside composition in amounts of 0.25% or more, 0.3% or more, 0.5% or more, 1% or more, 1.5% or more, 2.0% or more, 2.5% or more, 3.0% or more, 4.0% or more, or 5.0% or more. Based on the weight of the aqueous solution, one or more steviol glycosides may be present in the steviol glycoside composition in amounts between 0.1% and 10.0% by weight, between 0.5% and 8.0% by weight, or between 1.0% and 5.0% by weight.

[0045] The steviol glycoside composition may contain Reb D and Reb M in amounts greater than other steviol glycosides. The steviol glycosides in the composition may be described based on the content of Reb D and Reb M. For example, the total steviol glycosides in the composition may contain greater than 80% by weight of Reb M (RM80), greater than 90% by weight of Reb M (RM90), greater than 95% by weight of Reb M (RM95), or greater than 99% by weight of Reb M (RM99). Reb M may be the dominant steviol glycoside in the composition and may be present in amounts such as 50% to 95% by weight, 70% to 90% by weight, or 75% to 85% by weight, based on the total weight of steviol glycosides in the composition. Reb D may be present together with Reb M. Reb D may be present at a lower concentration than Reb M, for example, in amounts of 1% to 25% by weight, 3% to 20% by weight, or 5% to 15% by weight, based on the total weight of steviol glycosides in the composition. In one example, based on the total weight of steviol glycosides in the composition, Reb M is at least 85% by weight, and Reb D is between 3% and 15% by weight. Based on the total weight of steviol glycosides in the composition, the steviol glycoside composition may contain at least 50% by weight, at least 60% by weight, at least 70% by weight, at least 75% by weight, at least 80% by weight, at least 85% by weight, at least 90% by weight, at least 95% by weight, or at least 98% by weight of a combination of Reb M and Reb D. Other steviol glycosides may be present in the composition, but some steviol glycosides may be present only in small amounts. For example, Reb A, Reb B, and steviol glycosides may be present with Reb D and Reb M, but in amounts less than 5% by weight, less than 2% by weight, or less than 1% by weight based on the total weight of steviol glycosides in the composition.

[0046] The solubility of steviol glycosides is also affected by the pH of aqueous solutions. Generally, the pH of the steviol glycoside compositions described herein can be between 2 and 8. Steviol glycoside compositions can have an acidic pH, such as pH 3, which is typical for some beverage products, such as carbonated soft drinks and freshly prepared beverages. The pH of the aqueous steviol glycoside compositions described herein can be between 2.5 and 3.5 or between 6 and 7.

[0047] The solubility enhancers in the compositions described herein are typically mogrosides, such as sarcosin I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, or combinations thereof. Over 80% of known mogrosides are sweeter than sucrose and possess acceptable taste qualities (see, Philippe et al., “Biotechnological production of natural zero-calorie sweeteners,” Curr. Opin. Biotech, April 2014, 26:155-166). Mogrosides may comprise a mogroside core and four or more glycosides. Structurally, mogrosides comprise a mogroside skeleton, distinguished by the presence and arrangement of glycoside residues at positions R1 and R2 of the following mogroside skeleton:

[0048]

[0049] Semanin I is a cucurbitane glycoside natural sweetener found in monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii; also known as Luo Han Guo), and has the following formula: I and Figure 1 The structure shown is illustrated. As shown, siamenoside I is a triterpenoid saponin having four glycosidic positions. The siamenoside I suitable for the steviol glycoside compositions of the present invention can be extracted from sage or another plant (e.g., plants engineered to biosynthesize mogroside (Liao et al., "Heterologous vancoside biosynthesis in cucugs and tomato by genetic manipulation", Communications Biology, 6, article number 191, February 17, 2023)), can be synthesized, can be produced by biotransformation (e.g., see Xu et al., "Engineering of a UDP-glycosyltransferase for the efficient whole cell biosynthesis of siamenoside I in Escherichiacoli", J. Agric. Food Chem., 2022, 70, 5, 1601-1609), or can be produced by fermentation with microorganisms engineered to contain the siamenoside I biosynthetic pathway.

[0050] (I)

[0051] The steviol glycoside composition may contain an amount of symmenidine I to improve the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the composition. Generally, the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to symmenidine I in the composition may be between 5:1 and 0.1:1, between 0.25:1 and 4.5:1, or between 0.5:1 and 4:1. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to symmenidine I in the composition may be between 5:1 and 0.1:1, and the composition is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, with the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to symmenidine I between 5:1 and 0.1:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain between 0.5% and 10% by weight, between 0.75% and 7.5% by weight, or between 1.0% and 5% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to symmenidine I is between 5:1 and 0.1:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day.

[0052] Mogroside V is a calorie-free, high-strength cucurbitane glycoside natural sweetener found in senna fruit, and possesses the following formula II and Figure 2 The structure is shown. Mogroside V is the main mogroside found in *Cucugus cusia*, accounting for about 0.5% to 1.4% of the fruit's dry weight, and is about 250 times sweeter than sucrose. Mogroside V suitable for the steviol glycoside compositions of the present invention can be extracted from *Cucugus cusia* or another plant (e.g., plants engineered to biosynthesize mogroside (Liao et al., "Heterologous vanaginside biosynthesis in cucugs and tomato by genetic manipulation", Communications Biology, 6, article number 191, February 17, 2023)), can be synthesized, can be produced by biotransformation, or can be produced by fermentation using microorganisms engineered to contain the biosynthetic pathway of mogroside V. See, for example, Itkin et al., 2016 (“The biosynthetic pathway of the nonsugar,high-intensity sweetener mogroside V from Siraitia grosvenorii”, 2016, PNAS, 113(47):E7619-E7628).

[0053] (II)

[0054] The steviol glycoside composition may contain an amount of mogroside V to improve the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the composition. Generally, the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside V in the composition is between 0.1:1 and 5:1, between 0.5:1 and 4:1, or between 1:1 and 2:1. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside V in the composition may be between 0.1:1 and 5:1, and it is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain at least 1% by weight, at least 1.5% by weight, at least 2% by weight, or at least 2.5% by weight of total steviol glycosides, with the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside V between 5:1 and 3:1, or about 4:1, and it is soluble at 23°C for at least 3 days. The composition may contain between 1% and 10% by weight, between 1.5% and 8% by weight, between 2% and 7% by weight, or between 2.5% and 5% by weight of total steviol glycosides, with a weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside V between 5:1 and 3:1, or about 4:1, and be soluble at 23°C for at least 3 days. The composition may also be an acidic solution with a pH between 2.5 and 3.5, containing at least 0.1% by weight, at least 0.25% by weight, at least 0.5% by weight, at least 2.5% by weight, or at least 3% by weight of total steviol glycosides, with a weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside V between 0.25:1 and 1.5:1, or between 0.5:1 and 1:1, and be soluble at 23°C for at least 14 days. The composition may be an acidic solution with a pH between 2.5 and 3.5, containing between 0.1% and 10% by weight, between 0.25% and 9% by weight, between 0.5% and 8% by weight, between 2.5% and 7% by weight, or between 3% and 6% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside V is between 0.25:1 and 1.5:1 or between 0.5:1 and 1:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 14 days.

[0055] Mogroside II-E is a natural sweetener containing glycosides found in monk fruit, and possesses the following formula III and Figure 4 The structure shown is described. The mogroside II-E suitable for the steviol glycoside compositions of the present invention can be extracted from *Cucugula stenoptera* or another plant (e.g., plants engineered to biosynthesize mogroside (Liao et al., "Heterologous vanaginside biosynthesis in cucugs and tomato by genetic manipulation", Communications Biology, 6, article number 191, February 17, 2023)), can be synthesized, can be produced by biotransformation, or can be produced by fermentation using microorganisms engineered to utilize the symmenidine I biosynthetic pathway.

[0056] (III)

[0057] The steviol glycoside composition may contain an amount of mogroside II-E to improve the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the composition. Typically, the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside II-E in the composition may be between 0.1:1 and 10:1, 0.5:1 and 10:1, 0.5:1 and 5:1, 1.5:1 and 5:1, 2:1 and 4:1, 0.25:1 and 0.75:1, or about 0.5:1. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside II-E in the composition may be between 0.1:1 and 10:1, and it is soluble for at least 1 day at 23°C. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside II-E in the composition may be between 1.5:1 and 5:1, and it is soluble for at least 2 days at 23°C. The composition contains total steviol glycosides in a weight ratio of 0.25:1 to 0.75:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days. The composition may contain at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, with a weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside II-E between 0.1:1 and 10:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, with a weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside II-E between 1.5:1 and 5:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days. The composition may contain at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside II-E is between 0.25:1 and 0.75:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days.

[0058] Mogroside III-E is a natural sweetener containing glycosides found in monk fruit, and possesses the following formula IV and Figure 5 The structure shown is described. The mogroside III-E suitable for the steviol glycoside compositions of the present invention can be extracted from *Cucugusa javanica* or another plant (e.g., plants engineered to biosynthesize mogroside (Liao et al., "Heterologous vanaginside biosynthesis in cucugs and tomato by genetic manipulation", Communications Biology, 6, article number 191, February 17, 2023)), can be synthesized, can be produced by biotransformation, or can be produced by fermentation using microorganisms engineered to utilize the symmenidine I biosynthetic pathway.

[0059] (IV)

[0060] The steviol glycoside composition may contain an amount of mogroside III-E to improve the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the composition. Generally, the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E in the composition may be between 0.1:1 and 10:1, between 0.5:1 and 10:1, between 0.5:1 and 5:1, between 2.5:1 and 5:1, between 3:1 and 4:1, or about 4:1. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E in the composition may be between 0.1:1 and 10:1, and it is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E in the composition may be between 2.5:1 and 5:1, and it is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days. The composition may contain at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E is between 0.1:1 and 10:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E is between 2.5:1 and 5:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days. The composition may contain from 0.5% by weight to 10% by weight, from 0.75% by weight to 7.5% by weight, or from 1.0% by weight to 5% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E is between 0.1:1 and 10:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain 0.5% to 10% by weight, 0.75% to 7.5% by weight, or 1.0% to 5% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to mogroside III-E is between 2.5:1 and 5:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days.

[0061] The steviol glycoside composition may contain a combination of any mogrosides (including sarcoside I, mogroside V, mogroside II-E, and mogroside III-E) listed herein that improve the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the composition. The mogroside combination may include a combination of sarcoside I and mogroside III-E. This combination may contain between 70% and 95% by weight, between 72% and 90% by weight, or between 75% and 80% by weight of sarcoside I. This combination may contain between 1% and 25% by weight, between 5% and 20% by weight, or between 10% and 15% by weight of mogroside III-E. The composition may comprise a combination of symbioside I and mogroside III-E, such that symbioside I accounts for 70% to 90% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and mogroside III-E accounts for 5% to 20% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and further comprises at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides. The composition may comprise a combination of symbioside I and mogroside III-E, such that symbioside I accounts for 70% to 90% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and mogroside III-E accounts for 5% to 20% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and further comprises at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 5:1, and it is soluble at 23°C for at least 1 day. The composition may contain a combination of symmonoside I and mogroside III-E, such that symmonoside I accounts for 70% to 90% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and mogroside III-E accounts for 5% to 20% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and further contains at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 3:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 2 days. The composition may comprise a combination of symmonoside I and mogroside III-E, such that symmonoside I accounts for 70% to 90% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and mogroside III-E accounts for 5% to 20% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and further comprises at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 1.5:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 3 days.The composition may comprise a combination of symmonoside I and mogroside III-E, such that symmonoside I accounts for 70% to 90% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and mogroside III-E accounts for 5% to 20% by weight of the total mogrosides in the composition, and further comprises at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of total steviol glycosides, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 0.75:1, and is soluble at 23°C for at least 4 days.

[0062] method

[0063] This disclosure also provides a method for improving the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides. The method includes adding one or more steviol glycosides, along with at least one of symmenoside I, mogroside V, mogroside II-E, and mogroside III-E, to an aqueous solution to form a steviol glycoside composition. The solubility of the steviol glycoside composition is higher than that of the steviol glycoside composition added to an aqueous solution without mogroside. The steviol glycosides can be added to the aqueous solution such that the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 10:1, between 0.1:5:1, between 0.5:1 and 5:1, or any other ratio or range listed herein. The added steviol glycosides may comprise Reb A, Reb B, Reb C, Reb D, Reb J, Reb M, Reb N, Reb O, or a combination of two or more of these. The added steviol glycosides may comprise a combination of at least 85% by weight, at least 88% by weight, at least 90% by weight, at least 92% by weight, at least 95% by weight, or at least 98% by weight of Reb D and Reb M. The added steviol glycosides may be added at a concentration of at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, or at least 1.0% by weight of the total steviol glycosides. The added steviol glycosides may be added at concentrations between 0.5% by weight and 10% by weight, between 0.75% by weight and 7.5% by weight, or between 1.0% by weight and 5% by weight of the total steviol glycosides.

[0064] Additional components

[0065] In addition to one or more steviol glycosides and symmenidine I and / or mogroside V, the steviol glycoside composition may be supplemented with emulsifiers, flavoring agents, one or more additional sweeteners, or combinations thereof.

[0066] In some embodiments, the sweetener composition further comprises one or more additional non-stevia glycoside sweetener compounds. The sweetener composition may comprise only calorie-free sweeteners. "Calorie-free sweeteners" are sweeteners that have no calories or, due to their low dosage, do not add calories to the composition in which they are added, but have a sweetness intensity higher than sucrose per gram. Alternatively, the sweetener composition may comprise a combination of calorie-free sweeteners and calorie sweeteners. The additional non-stevia glycoside sweetener compounds may be any type of sweetener, such as sweeteners derived from plants or plant products, or physically or chemically modified sweeteners derived from plants, or synthetic sweeteners. Exemplary non-stevia glycoside sweeteners that may be included in sweetener compositions include sucrose, fructose, glucose, erythritol, maltitol, lactitol, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, tagatose, trehalose, galactose, rhamnose, cyclodextrins (e.g., α-cyclodextrin, β-cyclodextrin, and γ-cyclodextrin), ribulose, threose, arabinose, xylose, lysolose, allose, atroose, mannose, idulose, lactose, maltose, invert sugar, isotrehalose, neotrehalose, palaginose or isomaltulose, erythritol, deoxyribose, gulose, idulose, tarose, erythritolose, xylulose, allulose, mesobiose, cellobiose, glucosamine, mannosamine, fucose, fucose, glucuronic acid, gluconic acid, gluconolactone, apicolithosaccharide, and arbicose. Galactosamine, xylooligosaccharides (xylotriose, xylobiose, etc.), gentiooligosaccharides (gentiobiose, gentiotriose, gentiotetraose, etc.), galactooligosaccharides, sorbitol, ketonetriose (dihydroxyacetone), propionose (glyceraldehyde), Aspergillus niger oligosaccharides, fructooligosaccharides (fructotriose, fructotetraose, etc.), maltotetraose, maltotriose alcohol, tetrasaccharides, mannose, maltomalooligosaccharides (maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentose, maltohexaose, maltoheptaose, etc.), dextrin, lactulose, melibiose, raffinose, rhamnose, ribose, sucralose, isomerized liquid sugars such as high fructose corn / starch syrup (HFCS / HFSS) (e.g., HFCS55, HFCS42, or HFCS90), conjugated sugars, soybean oligosaccharides, glucose syrup, and combinations thereof. When applicable, D-configuration or L-configuration or both may be used. Non-stevia glycoside sweeteners and related aspects are also described in PCT International Publications WO 2019 / 071220 and WO 2019 / 071182 and U.S. Patent Application Publications 2019 / 0223481 and 2019 / 0223483, the full text of each of these patents being incorporated herein by reference.

[0067] In various embodiments, the steviol glycoside composition may optionally include additional additives. In some embodiments, the steviol glycoside composition comprises one or more additives, including carbohydrates, polyols, amino acids and their corresponding salts, polyamino acids and their corresponding salts, sugar acids and their corresponding salts, nucleotides, organic acids, inorganic acids, organic salts (including organic acid salts and organic base salts), inorganic salts, bitter compounds, flavoring agents and flavor components, astringent compounds, proteins or protein hydrolysates, surfactants, emulsifiers, weighting agents, gums, antioxidants, coloring agents, flavonoids, alcohols, polymers, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the additives are used to improve the timing and flavor characteristics of the sweetener to provide a favorable taste to the steviol glycoside composition, such as a sucrose-like taste. Examples of such components and aspects thereof are described, for example, in PCT International Publications WO 2019 / 071220 and WO 2019 / 071182 and U.S. Patent Application Publications 2019 / 0223481 and 2019 / 0223483, the full text of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0068] Food products

[0069] Stevia glycoside compositions may be incorporated into or used in the preparation of any known edible material or other compositions intended to be ingested and / or come into contact with by the mouth of humans or animals, such as, for example, pharmaceutical compositions, supplementary compositions (e.g., gummies, tablets, etc.), edible gel mixtures and compositions, dental and oral hygiene compositions, food ingredients (e.g., confectionery, condiments, chewing gum, cereal compositions, baked goods, baked goods, cooking aids, dairy products, and table sweetener compositions), and beverage products (e.g., beverages, beverage mixtures, beverage concentrates, etc.). Examples of such compositions and aspects thereof are shown in PCT International Publications WO 2019 / 071220 and WO 2019 / 071182 and in U.S. Patent Application Publications 2019 / 0223481 and 2019 / 0223483, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0070] Stevia glycoside compositions can be beverage products or can be used to prepare beverage products. As used herein, "beverage product" can be ready-to-drink beverages, beverage concentrates, beverage syrups, frozen beverages, powdered beverages, etc. Suitable ready-to-drink beverages include carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. Carbonated beverages include, but are not limited to, energy drinks, cola, lemon-lime flavored soda, orange flavored soda, grape flavored soda, strawberry flavored soda, pineapple flavored soda, ginger ale, soft drinks, and sarsaparilla. Non-carbonated beverages include, but are not limited to, fruit juices, fruit-flavored juices, fruit juice drinks, nectar, vegetable juices, vegetable-flavored juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, energy drinks, vitamin-enhancing drinks, near-water drinks (e.g., water with natural or synthetic flavorings), coconut water, tea drinks (e.g., black tea, green tea, rooibos tea, oolong tea), coffee, cocoa drinks, beverages containing dairy components (e.g., milk drinks, coffee containing dairy components, milk coffee, milk tea, fruit milk drinks), beverages containing cereal extracts, smoothies, and combinations thereof. Examples of frozen beverages include, but are not limited to, shaved ice, frozen cocktails, daiquiri, chilled fruit rum, margaritas, milkshakes, frozen coffee, frozen lemonade, granitas, and smoothies. Beverages can be alcoholic (e.g., liqueurs or cream liqueurs) or non-alcoholic. Beverages can be brewed fermented beverages, such as beer or kombucha. Beverage concentrates and beverage syrups can be prepared using an initial volume of liquid matrix (e.g., water) and desired beverage ingredients. A full-concentration beverage is then prepared by adding an additional volume of water. Powdered beverages are prepared by dry-mixing all beverage ingredients in the absence of a liquid matrix. A full-concentration beverage is then prepared by adding the full volume of water, a liquid matrix, or an aqueous solution.

[0071] The steviol glycoside composition can be a food product or can be used to prepare a food product. The food product can be any calorie or calorie-free food product suitable for human consumption. Suitable food products include, but are not limited to, confectionery products (e.g., candy, candied nuts, candy bars, caramel, chocolate, chocolate bars, chocolate beans, hollow chocolate or any desired shape, filled chocolate bars, pralines, truffles, cereal bars, chewing gum, and pastries), condiments, chewing gum, cereal compositions, baked goods, baked products (e.g., bread, such as bagels, rolls, bread rolls, biscuits, and loaves); cookies; brownies; crispy muffins; desserts, such as cakes, cheesecakes, and pies; snack cakes; sweets such as donuts, Danish pastries, sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls, and coffee cookies), cooking condiments, dairy products (e.g., ice cream, yogurt, frozen desserts, puddings, mousses, custards, milkshakes, malt, cream cheese, cheese, fudge), dairy substitutes, frozen desserts (e.g., ice cream, sorbets, frozen yogurt, etc.), tabletop steviol glycoside compositions, seasonings, sauces, gravy, soups, condiments, snack products (e.g., oat bars, nutrition bars, etc.), etc. The compositions described herein can be used in any form in food products, such as melting or mixing into the formulation of the final product as fillings, inclusions, toppings, or coatings, or molding around other discrete ingredients such as nuts, fruits, dried fruits, cookies, candy blocks, or shapes, or combinations thereof. In frozen dessert compositions, the compositions can be used as coatings, inclusions (in block, sheet, or corrugated form), toppings, or fillings (soft or solid).

[0072] The invention can be better understood by referring to the following embodiments provided by way of example. The invention is not limited to the embodiments given herein.

[0073] Example

[0074] The invention is described in further detail with reference to the following experimental embodiments. Unless otherwise stated, these embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Therefore, the invention should not in any way be construed as limited to the following embodiments, but should be construed as covering any and all variations that become apparent as a result of the teachings provided herein.

[0075] Materials and Methods

[0076] Table 2 lists the content and source of various components used in the examples.

[0077] Table 2 .

[0078]

[0079] In the examples below, the mogroside V (“Mog V”) used in Example 1 was obtained from Chromadex and further purified by C18 reversed-phase solid-phase extraction (SPE) to remove the high salt content of the commercial material.

[0080] The high-symbioside I blends (“symbioside I blends”) used in the following examples were produced by engineering the mogroside pathway into the yeast *Yarrowia lipolytica*. The strain was fermented, and symbioside I was purified from the fermentation broth through a series of downstream process unit operations (spectral chromatography, ion exchange, etc.) to produce a dried powder. The dried powder contained 78.5 wt% symbioside I, 12.0 wt% mogroside III-E, and 9.5 wt% other mogrosides.

[0081] Solubility Analysis Method: Unless otherwise specified, the following method is used to assess solubility. Prepare a solubility sample by placing powdered mogroside into a new, clean vial. Record the weight and zero the vial after tareing. Then add powdered steviol glycoside to the vial and record the weight. Add water, place the cap on the vial, and seal tightly. Place the vial in an 80°C oven for 30 minutes, vortexing every 10 minutes. Remove the vial from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Monitor several times daily by inverting and rotating the solution to observe visible crystal formation.

[0082] Example 1 - Stevioside Composition Containing Mogroside V

[0083] The various concentrations of Reb D and Reb M blends (referred to as OPS) as outlined in Table 3 below were mixed with various concentrations of mogroside V (“mog V”) in a citrate / phosphate buffer solution at pH 3. Figure 3 Photographs of the solutions in Table 3 after storage at approximately 23°C (room temperature) for 14 days are shown. A Mog V to steviol glycoside ratio between 1:1 and 2:1 effectively improves the solubility of the OPS solution. In a solution of 3% OPS and 3% mogroside V, the observed amount of crystallization is still lower than that of 2% OPS in water alone. Therefore, in a 3%:3% solution, most of the OPS remains in the solution.

[0084] Table 3 .

[0085]

[0086] Example 2 - Stevioside Composition with Cimeniside I Blend

[0087] The various concentrations of Reb D and Reb M blends (referred to as OPS) as outlined in Table 4 below were mixed with various concentrations of mogroside blends, and the solubility was analyzed using a solubility analysis method.

[0088] Table 4 .

[0089]

[0090] Example 3 - Stevioside Composition Containing Mogroside V

[0091] The various concentrations of Reb D and Reb M blends (referred to as OPS) as outlined in Table 5 below were mixed with various concentrations of mogroside V, and the solubility was analyzed using a solubility analysis method.

[0092] Table 5 .

[0093]

[0094] Example 4 - Stevioside Composition Containing Mogroside III-E

[0095] The various concentrations of Reb D and Reb M blends (referred to as OPS) as outlined in Table 6 below were mixed with various concentrations of mogroside III-E, and the solubility was analyzed using a solubility analysis method.

[0096] Table 6 .

[0097]

[0098] Example 5 - Stevioside Composition Containing Mogroside II-E

[0099] The various concentrations of Reb D and Reb M blends (referred to as OPS) as outlined in Table 7 below were mixed with various concentrations of mogroside II-E, and the solubility was analyzed using a solubility analysis method.

[0100] Table 7 .

[0101]

[0102] Example 6 - Stevioside Composition Containing Cimenoside I

[0103] The various concentrations of Reb D and Reb M blends (referred to as OPS) as outlined in Table 8 below were mixed with various concentrations of siamanside I, and the solubility was analyzed using a solubility analysis method.

[0104] Table 8 .

[0105]

[0106] Example 7 - Solubility Study

[0107] The samples outlined in Examples 2-6 were stored at room temperature (approximately 23°C) for one month. After one month, the samples were centrifuged at 10,000 xg to remove crystalline material, and the soluble fraction was analyzed by HPLC-UV to determine the remaining dissolved mogrosides and steviosides. The results are shown in Table 9 and Figures 6 to 8 The sample number refers to the same sample described above in Examples 2-6.

[0108] The results showed that some evaporation occurred in the samples during the one-month storage period (e.g., sample 5.6, where the solubility of both steviol glycosides and dissolved mogrosides was higher than the added amount). However, the results did show that, under conditions of higher mogroside additions, the improved solubility of steviol glycosides during steady state exceeded its natural limit. Figure 7 The horizontal solid line in the figure illustrates this improvement.

[0109] Table 9 .

[0110]

Claims

1. An aqueous steviol glycoside solution, said aqueous steviol glycoside solution comprising: One or more steviol glycosides; and Mogroside, wherein the mogroside is selected from the group consisting of symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E and combinations thereof; The weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 5:1 or between 0.5:1 and 4:

1.

2. The aqueous steviol glycoside composition according to claim 1, wherein the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides in the aqueous solution is higher than that in an equivalent aqueous solution lacking the mogroside.

3. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the steviol glycoside comprises one or more of levodoside A, levodoside B, levodoside C, levodoside D, levodoside J, levodoside M, levodoside N and levodoside O.

4. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the steviol glycoside comprises rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M.

5. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the total steviol glycosides comprise 50% to 90% by weight of leboside M and 1% to 25% by weight of leboside D.

6. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the total steviol glycosides comprise less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside A, less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside B and / or less than 5% by weight of steviol glycosides.

7. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aqueous solution comprises at least 0.25% by weight, at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, at least 1.0% by weight, at least 1.5% by weight, at least 2.0% by weight, or at least 2.5% by weight of steviol glycosides.

8. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the mogroside comprises symmenoside I and mogroside III-E.

9. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the total mogrosides comprise at least 75% symmenoside I.

10. The aqueous solution according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the total mogrosides comprise 5% to 20% by weight of mogroside III-E.

11. The aqueous solution according to any one of claims 4 to 10, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 1:1, and the aqueous solution is soluble for at least 3 days when stored at 23°C.

12. The aqueous steviol glycoside composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mogroside comprises a mogroside core and four or more glycosides, such as mogroside V, symmonoside I, or a combination thereof.

13. The aqueous solution according to claim 12, wherein the total mogrosides comprise at least 95% by weight mogroside V.

14. The aqueous solution according to any one of claims 12 to 13, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 5:1, and the aqueous solution is soluble for at least 1 day when stored at 23°C.

15. The aqueous solution according to any one of claims 12 to 13, wherein the aqueous solution is acidic, the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.5:1 and 1:1, and the solution is soluble at 23°C for at least 14 days.

16. A beverage comprising an aqueous solution according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A method for improving the solubility of steviol glycosides in an aqueous solution, the method comprising: One or more steviol glycosides and mogrosides are added to an aqueous solution to form an aqueous steviol glycoside solution, wherein the mogrosides are selected from the group consisting of symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, and combinations thereof. The solubility of one or more of the steviol glycosides in the aqueous steviol glycoside solution is higher than that in an equivalent aqueous solution lacking the mogroside.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein after addition, the aqueous solution is stirred until the total steviol glycosides and total mogrosides dissolve.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the solution is stirred at a temperature of 50°C or higher, 60°C or higher, 70°C or higher, 75°C or higher, or 80°C or higher.

20. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 19, wherein the steviol glycoside comprises one or more of levodoside A, levodoside B, levodoside C, levodoside D, levodoside J, levodoside M, levodoside N and levodoside O.

21. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 20, wherein the steviol glycoside comprises leboside D and leboside M.

22. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the total steviol glycosides comprise 50% to 90% by weight of leboside M and 1% to 25% by weight of leboside D.

23. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 22, wherein the total steviol glycosides comprise less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside A, less than 5% by weight of rebaudioside B and / or less than 5% by weight of steviol glycosides.

24. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 23, wherein the aqueous steviol glycoside solution comprises at least 0.25% by weight, at least 0.5% by weight, at least 0.75% by weight, at least 1.0% by weight, at least 1.5% by weight, at least 2.0% by weight, or at least 2.5% by weight of steviol glycoside.

25. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the mogroside comprises symmenoside I and mogroside III-E.

26. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 25, wherein the total mogrosides comprise at least 75% symmenoside I.

27. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 26, wherein the total mogrosides comprise 5% to 20% by weight of mogroside III-E.

28. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 27, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 1:1, and the aqueous steviol glycoside solution is soluble for at least 3 days when stored at 23°C.

29. The method according to any one of claims 17 to 24, wherein the mogroside comprises mogroside V.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the total mogrosides comprise at least 95% by weight mogroside V.

31. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 30, wherein the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.1:1 and 5:1, and the aqueous solution is soluble for at least 1 day when stored at 23°C.

32. The method according to any one of claims 28 to 30, wherein the aqueous steviol glycoside solution is acidic, the weight ratio of total steviol glycosides to total mogrosides is between 0.5:1 and 1:1, and the solution is soluble at 23°C for at least 14 days.

33. Use of mogroside for improving the solubility of one or more steviol glycosides, wherein the mogroside is selected from the group consisting of symbioside I, mogroside V, mogroside III-E, mogroside II-E, and combinations thereof.

Images