Stevia Soy Milk: The Potency of Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) as Natural Sweetener and Antioxidant in Functional Beverages Fanny Nurwanto (a), Catarina Aprilia Ariestanti (a*)
a) Department of Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Jl. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo No. 5-25, Kotabaru, Kec. Gondokusuman, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta
*catarina.ariestanti[at]staff.ukdw.ac.id
Abstract
Soybean (Glycine max) is a nutritional food source that is commonly used in the production of plant-based milk. The uses of refined sugar in traditional soy milk product may increase its chance of leveling blood sugar up that can lead to diabetes. Replacing those refined sugar with other natural sweetener such as stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) may enhance soy milk beneficial effect due to it reportedly contained high antioxidant activity. This study aims to determine the effect of a natural sweetener from stevia leaves incorporated into soy milk. Evaluation of stevia soy milk in various concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% (w/v)) using organoleptic tests and antioxidant activity tests. The organoleptic test encompasses color, aroma, taste, and texture parameters. Antioxidant activity is measured using the DPPH method. Data are statistically analyzed using One Way ANOVA, followed by Duncan test for significant differences. Soy milk with a 0.5% stevia concentration was the most preferred by panelists, with a rating of most liked for texture, liked for color and aroma, and moderate for taste. The highest overall acceptance value 3.96 with a standard deviation of 0.477 of the product was found significantly (p<0.05) at concentration of 0.5% compared to other concentrations. Additionally, stevia soy milk exhibited antioxidant activity with an IC50 value of 65.054,33 with a standard deviation of 8.33. The addition of stevia as a natural sweetener to soy milk enhances its antioxidant activity, making it a potential health beverage alternative. Further study to check the beneficial effects of stevia soy milk such as its nutritional content needs to be conducted.
