Environmental Stress, Elicitors and Steviol Glycoside Production in Stevia rebaudiana: A Systematic Literature Review

Stevia rebaudiana is the primary natural source of steviol glycosides (SGs), compounds that provide intense sweetness without calories and have broad applications in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. However, SG production is highly sensitive to environmental stresses and elicitor treatments, which modulate plant secondary metabolism. This systematic literature review aims to synthesize current research on how various environmental stresses and elicitors affect SG biosynthesis and yield in S. rebaudiana . Literature from databases including Scopus, Springer, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar was screened using the PRISMA framework, resulting in 74 eligible studies published between 2012 and 2024. The review reveals that abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, light, chilling, and oxidative stress induce diverse responses depending on intensity and duration. Mild stress often enhances SG content, while severe stress reduces growth and total yield. Conversely, elicitors such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, paclobutrazol, mannitol, and nanomaterials significantly promote stevioside and rebaudioside A accumulation by activating defense related metabolic pathways. Optimal elicitor concentrations (e.g., methyl jasmonate 60–120 µM, sodium silicate 25 mM, salicylic acid 0.5 mM) were identified to maximize metabolic enhancement. The findings highlight that integrating moderate stress with appropriate elicitor application can synergistically improve SG productivity. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of mechanisms, trends, and knowledge gaps to support future research and industrial scale improvement of S. rebaudiana under stress and elicitation conditions.