Effectiveness of Apical Pruning and Eco Enzyme Application on The Organoleptic Characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Leaves

Effectiveness of Apical Pruning and Eco Enzyme Application on The Organoleptic Characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Leaves | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Effectiveness of Apical Pruning and Eco Enzyme Application on The Organoleptic Characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Leaves Riska Wahyuni, Chairani Hanum, Lisa Mawarni This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8990717/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Stevia is a natural sweetener with potential as a sugar substitute. Acceptance of stevia products is largely determined by organoleptic qualities such as sweetness, color, aroma, and aftertaste. This study evaluated the effect of pruning and eco enzyme on the sensory attributes of stevia. A factorial randomized block design was used with two factors: shoot pruning (0, 4, and 8 WAP) and eco enzyme (0, 1, 2, and 3 ml/L), each with three replications. Organoleptic evaluation employed the hedonic method with 100 panelists. Results showed that treatment combinations significantly affected sensory parameters. The highest sweetness (3.21) and neutral aroma (3.92) were obtained from unpruned plants treated with 3 ml/L eco enzyme, while pruning at 8 weeks with 3 ml/L eco enzyme gave the best color (3.79). Aftertaste remained moderately bitter but tended to improve in some treatments. Eco enzyme application enhanced sensory quality, supporting stevia’s potential in healthy food products. Apical Pruning Eco Enzyme Sensory Stevia Figures Figure 1 1. Introduction Stevia ( Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) is a natural sweetener plant with a sweetness level 200–300 times higher than sucrose (Rybchuk et al., 2021 ). Stevia leaves contain more than 30 types of steviol glycosides, with two main components, stevioside and rebaudioside A, as the principal contributors to sweetness. The stevioside content in the leaves is about 4–13% and rebaudioside A is 2–4% of the total glycosides (Pateliuk et al. , 2021; Al-Fekaiki et al ., 2021). The main advantage of stevia is that it does not increase blood glucose levels because steviol glycosides are not digested into glucose, so stevia intake does not raise acute blood sugar and can replace sucrose without adding calories (Ajami et al., 2020 ; Farhat et al., 2019 ). Stevia is now widely used in foods, beverages, and supplements, and its global market is projected to be worth more than USD 1 billion, continuing to grow as new products are launched each year (Samuel et al., 2018 ; Ciriminna et al., 2018 ). Demand is driven by consumers’ desire to reduce sugar intake and avoid synthetic sweeteners, as well as their preference for sweeteners perceived as “natural” and zero-calorie (Putnik et al., 2020 ). In addition to the content of active compounds, the sensory qualities of stevia such as sweetness level, infusion color, aroma, and aftertaste are crucial for consumer acceptance. One persistent challenge in the use of stevia is the bitter aftertaste, which can reduce liking. Stevioside is the main glycoside in stevia leaves and is known as the primary contributor to bitter and disturbing bitter aftertastes, thereby limiting its use at high levels (Medeiros et al., 2022 ). Rebaudioside A has higher sweetness potency and lower bitterness than stevioside, so extracts with a higher Reb A ratio generally provide a more preferable flavor profile. Stevioside more readily activates human bitter taste receptors hTAS2R4 and hTAS2R14, whereas rebaudioside A and M exhibit a sweeter taste and a cleaner aftertaste (Nasrullah et al., 2023 ). Therefore, cultivation strategies are needed that not only increase plant productivity but also improve the organoleptic quality of stevia leaves. Pruning shoots is a simple cultivation technique that can affect vegetative growth, leaf production, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants (Pala et al., 2013 ). This treatment has the potential to improve leaf quality, including the content of natural sweetening compounds. At the same time, the use of eco enzymes produced by fermenting organic wastes such as fruit peels, brown sugar, and water is increasingly being investigated as a natural biostimulant. Eco enzymes contain enzymes, organic acids, and growth hormones that can improve soil fertility, stimulate plant metabolism, and enhance crop quality in an environmentally friendly way (Paendong et al., 2023 ). In stevia, eco enzyme fertilization has been shown to accelerate growth, increase leaf number, and raise fresh leaf yield compared with other organic fertilizers, thereby increasing production and farmers’ income (Kriswantoro et al., 2022 ). Combining shoot pruning and eco enzyme application is therefore expected not only to improve stevia growth and productivity, but also to contribute to the organoleptic quality of the leaves by increasing steviol glycoside accumulation and overall leaf biomass (Hasanaklou et al., 2020 ; Abdullateef et al ., 2011; Calapardo et al ., 2024). Sensory evaluation is essential to determine how far these treatments can enhance sweetness, improve infusion color, increase aroma, and minimize undesirable aftertaste (Kaushik et al., 2010 ; Tarigan et al., 2024 ; Fatima et al. , 2018). 2. Methodology 2.1. Study Area This research was conducted on research land located at 03° 53´ 09.7” North Latitude, 098° 64´ 00.0” East Longitude with an altitude of ±32 meters above sea level. The analysis was carried out at the Biotechnology and Pests Diseases Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra, at Jl. Dr. A. Sofian No.3, Padang Bulan, Kec. Medan Baru, Medan. This research was conducted from June to August 2024. The plant material used in this study was Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni obtained from local farmers in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. The plants were cultivated under conventional agricultural conditions. Healthy plants with uniform morphological characteristics were selected and used as experimental materials for the apical pruning and eco-enzyme treatments.The tools used in this study included serving glasses, spoons, a teapot, a beaker, a digital scale, sample codes, an organoleptic assessment sheet, writing instruments, and a stopwatch. 2.2. Procedures The design used in this research was a factorial complete randomized block design with 2 factors and 3 replications. The first factor is pruning (4 and 8 WAP), while the second factor is Eco Enzyme (0, 1,2, and 3 ml/l water). Pruning is carried out in accordance with the research treatment, namely 4 WAP and 8 WAP on the fifth leaf sitting from the tip of the shoot., while Eco enzyme Eco enzyme is applied once every 2 weeks with a concentration determined according to the treatment, namely 0, 1, 2 and 3 ml/l water. Eco enzyme is given by spraying it on the entire plant canopy. To determine the volume of eco enzyme spray that will be used, calibrate first with a 1 liter handsprayer. Control of nuisance organisms is focused on minimizing pest attacks and prioritizing plant-based control. The pest many attacks include aphids ( Aphis sp), armyworms ( Helionthis sp.), grasshoppers and caterpillars/span caterpillars. This type of pest can be controlled by biological pesticide neem seed extract. Stevia harvesting is carried out when the plants are 75 days old. The ideal time for harvesting is in the morning. Harvesting is done by cutting the stems about 10-15 cm from the ground using pruning shears. Post-harvest activities for stevia include picking the leaves attached to the stems and sorting them to separate the low-quality leaves. Next, washing is carried out to clean the leaves of dirt to maintain the quality of the stevia. For drying stevia leaves, use the air drying method in a dry, shaded place, which takes about one week. The dried leaves are yellowish-green in color with a maximum moisture content of 10%, a minimum stevioside content of 10%, and a maximum impurity content of 3% (Rukmana., 2003). 2.3. Sensory Evaluation Sensory evaluation was conducted using a hedonic test to assess panelists’ acceptance of the product. A total of 100 panelists evaluated sensory attributes including sweetness, color, aroma, and aftertaste. The assessment was based on a 5-point hedonic scale ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 = strongly dislike, 2 = dislike, 3 = neutral, 4 = like, and 5 = strongly like, following the method described by Setyaningsih et al. (2010), with modifications to the evaluated parameters. The modified scoring criteria for each attribute were as follows: Sweetness : 1 (very sweet), 2 (sweet), 3 (moderately sweet), 4 (slightly sweet), and 5 (not sweet). Color : 1 (dark brown), 2 (light brown), 3 (yellow), 4 (slightly yellow), and 5 (greenish). Aroma : 1 (very strong), 2 (strong), 3 (neutral), 4 (weak), and 5 (very weak). Aftertaste : 1 (very bitter), 2 (bitter), 3 (moderately bitter), 4 (slightly bitter), and 5 (not bitter). 3. Result The sensory evaluation of stevia leaves, assessed using four parameters, showed variable responses depending on treatment effects, with statistical significance determined using SPSS analysis. The sensory characteristics under shoot pruning and eco enzyme application treatments are presented in Figure 1. 3.1 Sweetness Level The normality test results indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, indicating that the sensory data for stevia sweetness were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for sweetness under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P 0 D 3 (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest sweetness level, with a score of 3.21, which was perceived as moderately sweet by the panelists. Overall, panelists’ preference for stevia leaf taste showed relatively small variation, ranging from 2.67 to 3.21, corresponding to slightly sweet to moderately sweet perceptions. The Kruskal–Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on sweetness (p = 0.004 < 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently performed using the Mann Whitney test to evaluate differences between treatment groups, and the results are presented in the following table. Based on Table 1, the Mann–Whitney test results for sweetness indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) between several treatment pairs, namely P 0 D 0 (control + 0 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 1 (control + 1 mL L⁻¹), P 0 D 1 (control + 1 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 3 (control + 3 mL L⁻¹), P 2 D 0 (8 MST + 0 mL L⁻¹) and P 2 D 2 (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹), as well as P 0 D 1 (control + 1 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 1 (4 MST + 1 mL L⁻¹), indicating significant differences in sweetness levels among these treatments. Treatment P 0 D 3 (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme application) exhibited a moderately sweet taste with a score of 3.21. This result suggests that the absence of shoot pruning combined with eco enzyme application may enhance the production of sweet compounds in stevia leaves, thereby increasing perceived sweetness. The increased leaf production under this treatment may contribute to higher concentrations of glycosidic compounds, particularly stevioside and rebaudioside, which are the primary constituents responsible for the sweetness of stevia leaves. Steviol glycosides are typically approximately 200–300 times sweeter than sucrose on a sweetness equivalence basis per unit dry weight (Hernandez et al ., 2021; Abubakar et al ., 2023). The total steviol glycoside content in stevia leaves usually ranges from about 4% to 20% of dry weight, depending on genotype and cultivation conditions (Orellana, 2023). Among the numerous steviol glycosides identified, the two predominant sweet constituents are stevioside, accounting for roughly 4–13% (w/w) of leaf dry weight, and rebaudioside A, accounting for about 2–4% (w/w) of leaf dry weight (Czinkóczky et al ., 2021; Khilar et al ., 2022). Stevioside and rebaudioside A generally contribute approximately 5–10% of leaf dry weight and represent around 90% of the total sweet steviol glycosides in conventional stevia cultivars (Lima et al ., 2021). Table 1 . Results of the Mann Whitney test analysis of the sweetness level of stevia Treatment p -value Notes P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 1 0,013 there are changes P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 2 0,406 no difference P 0 D 0 - P 0 D 3 0,259 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 2 0,107 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 2 – P 0 D 3 0,052 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 1 0,347 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 2 0,231 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 3 0,709 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 2 0,713 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 3 0,840 no difference P 1 D 2 – P 1 D 3 0,823 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 1 0,198 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 2 0,013 there are changes P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 3 0,550 no difference P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 2 0,085 no difference P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 3 0,365 no difference P 2 D 2 – P 2 D 3 0,032 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 1 D 0 0,788 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 2 D 0 0,086 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 1 D 1 0,002 there are changes P 1 D 1 – P 2 D 1 0,129 no difference P 0 D 2 – P 1 D 2 0,068 no difference P 1 D 2 – P 2 D 2 0,807 no difference P 0 D 3 – P 1 D 3 0,570 no difference P 1 D 3 – P 2 D 3 0,193 no difference 3.2 Color Level The normality test indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, suggesting that the sensory data for stevia color were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for color under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P 2 D 3 (shoot pruning at 8 MST with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest color score (3.79). Overall, panelists’ preference for stevia color showed relatively small variation, ranging from 2.88 to 3.79, with yellow coloration being more dominant. The Kruskal–Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on color response (p < 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently conducted using the Mann–Whitney test, and the results are presented in the following table. Based on Table 2, the Mann Whitney test results for color response revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) among several treatment pairs. Significant differences were observed between P 0 D 0 (control + 0 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 2 (control + 2 mL L⁻¹), P 0 D 0 and P 0 D 3 (control + 3 mL L⁻¹), P 0 D 1 (control + 1 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 2 , and P 0 D 2 and P 0 D 3 . Similarly, significant differences were identified among treatments at 8 MST, including P 2 D 0 (8 MST + 0 mL L⁻¹) compared with P 2 D 1 (8 MST + 1 mL L⁻¹), P 2 D 2 (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹), and P 2 D 3 (8 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹), as well as between P 2 D 1 and P 2 D 3 and between P 2 D 2 and P 2 D 3 . In addition, significant differences were observed between P 0 D 2 (control + 2 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 2 (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹), P 0 D 3 (control + 3 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 3 (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹), and between P 1 D 3 (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹) and P 2 D 3 (8 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹). These results indicate that the treatments significantly affected the color attributes of stevia leaves. Table 2 . Results of the Mann Whitney test analysis of stevia color levels Treatment p -value Notes P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 1 0,181 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 2 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 0 - P 0 D 3 0,009 there are changes P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 2 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 3 0,104 no difference P 0 D 2 – P 0 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 1 0,218 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 2 0,896 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 3 0,423 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 2 0,263 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 3 0,669 no difference P 1 D 2 – P 1 D 3 0,499 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 1 0,045 there are changes P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 2 0,047 there are changes P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 2 0,849 no difference P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 2 D 2 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 0 – P 1 D 0 0,288 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 2 D 0 0,372 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 1 D 1 0,332 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 2 D 1 0,171 no difference P 0 D 2 – P 1 D 2 0,004 there are changes P 1 D 2 – P 2 D 2 0,728 no difference P 0 D 3 – P 1 D 3 0,012 there are changes P 1 D 3 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes Sensory evaluation of stevia leaf infusion color indicated that treatment P 2 D 3 (shoot pruning at 4 weeks after planting combined with 3 mL eco enzyme application) produced the highest color score (3.79), corresponding to a yellow color category. This result suggests that the treatment generated a more visually appealing infusion, which was likely preferred by the panelists. Panelists’ preference for the color of stevia leaf extract showed relatively low variation, with scores ranging from 2.88 to 3.79, representing color intensity from slightly yellow to yellow. The yellow coloration observed under treatment P2D3 may be associated with increased concentrations of chlorophyll and phenolic compounds in stevia leaves resulting from shoot pruning and eco enzyme application. Stevia leaves contain a complex mixture of pigments, primarily chlorophyll and carotenoid derivatives, including β-carotene and xanthophylls such as α- and β-cryptoxanthin. Thin-layer chromatographic analysis reveals yellow spots with high Rf values, identified as β-carotene and cryptoxanthin, whereas chlorophyll a and b appear as blue‑green and yellow‑green spots rather than pure yellow, consistent with their spectral properties. Thus, the dominant yellow coloration is more appropriately attributed to carotenoids, while chlorophylls mainly contribute green to yellow‑green tones (Fominykh et al ., 2020). In addition, flavonoids and tannins exhibit colors ranging from pale yellow to brown and can further influence the appearance of extracts, particularly in polar solvents such as ethanol or methanol (Nuryandani et al., 2024; Singh et al., 2025). 3.3 Aroma The normality test indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, suggesting that the sensory data for stevia aroma were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for aroma under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P 0 D 3 (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest aroma score (3.92), corresponding to a neutral aroma perception. Overall, panelists’ responses to stevia aroma showed relatively low variation, with scores ranging from 3.21 to 3.92, indicating a generally neutral aroma profile. The Kruskal–Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on aroma response (p < 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently conducted using the Mann–Whitney test, and the results are presented in the following table. Table 3. Results of the Mann Whitney test analysis of stevia aroma levels Treatment p -value Notes P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 1 0,133 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 2 0,373 no difference P 0 D 0 - P 0 D 3 0,005 there are changes P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 2 0,307 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 2 – P 0 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 1 0,484 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 2 0,012 there are changes P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 3 0,079 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 2 0,004 there are changes P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 3 0,021 there are changes P 1 D 2 – P 1 D 3 0,522 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 1 0,071 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 2 0,943 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 3 0,178 no difference P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 2 0,047 there are changes P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 3 0,002 there are changes P 2 D 2 – P 2 D 3 0,176 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 1 D 0 0,231 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 2 D 0 0,622 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 1 D 1 0,791 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 2 D 1 0,913 no difference P 0 D 2 – P 1 D 2 0,050 there are changes P 1 D 2 – P 2 D 2 0,045 there are changes P 0 D 3 – P 1 D 3 0,041 there are changes P 1 D 3 – P 2 D 3 0,833 no difference Based on Table 3, the Mann–Whitney test results for aroma response revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) among several treatment pairs. Significant differences were observed between P 0 D 0 (control + 0 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 3 (control + 3 mL L⁻¹), P 0 D 1 (control + 1 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 3 , and P 0 D 2 (control + 2 mL L⁻¹) and P 0 D 3 . At 4 MST, significant differences were identified between P 1 D 0 (4 MST + 0 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 2 (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹), as well as between P 1 D 1 (4 MST + 1 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 3 (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹). Similarly, significant differences were found among treatments at 8 MST, including P 2 D 1 (8 MST + 1 mL L⁻¹) compared with P 2 D 2 (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹) and P 2 D 3 (8 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹). In addition, significant differences were observed between P 0 D 2 (control + 2 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 2 (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹), between P 1 D 2 (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹) and P 2 D 2 (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻¹), and between P 0 D 3 (control + 3 mL L⁻¹) and P 1 D 3 (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻¹). These results indicate that the treatments significantly affected the aroma characteristics of stevia leaves. Sensory evaluation of stevia leaf infusion revealed that treatment P 0 D 3 (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme application) produced the highest aroma score (3.92), corresponding to a neutral aroma category. This result suggests that the treatment generated a relatively more acceptable aroma profile, which may have been preferred by the panelists. Panelists’ responses to stevia aroma showed limited variation, with scores ranging from 3.21 to 3.92, indicating a generally neutral aroma perception. The aroma profile observed under treatment P 0 D 3 may be associated with increased availability of volatile compounds released during the infusion process. These compounds, derived from plant metabolic processes, contribute to the characteristic aroma of stevia leaf infusions. Aroma is a key dimension of sensory quality and a major determinant of consumer acceptance and food choice, particularly in beverages and other low‑sugar products sweetened with stevia. olatile compounds released from the food matrix enter the nasal cavity either orthonasally during sniffing or retronasally during mastication and swallowing, then dissolve in the mucus layer and bind to olfactory receptors, triggering neural signals to the brain (Pu et al ., 2022). Only a small fraction of the thousands of food volatiles are truly odor‑active and define the specific aroma character of a given product (Diez et al ., 2019). Stevia essential oil, rich in terpenoids and phenolic compounds, shows antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and therefore has potential as a natural preservative that can simultaneously provide a mild herbal aroma in foods (Sharma et al ., 2025). To improve sensory acceptance, formulators frequently employ aroma‑masking strategies, such as blending with congruent flavors (e.g., citrus or other fruit notes) or applying encapsulation technologies to modulate flavor release and attenuate undesirable aftertastes (Roohinejad et al ., 2025). 3.4 Aftertaste The normality test indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, suggesting that the sensory data for stevia aftertaste were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for aftertaste under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P 0 D 3 (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest aftertaste score (3.67), corresponding to a moderately bitter perception. Panelists’ responses to stevia aftertaste showed relatively low variability, with scores ranging from 2.78 to 3.67, indicating aftertaste intensity from slightly bitter to moderately bitter. The Kruskal–Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on aftertaste (p < 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently conducted using the Mann–Whitney test, and the results are presented in the following table. Based on Table 4, the Mann–Whitney test results for aftertaste revealed significant differences among several treatments (p < 0.05), indicating that the applied treatments significantly influenced the aftertaste of stevia leaf infusions. Sensory evaluation showed that treatment P 0 D 3 (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme application) produced the highest aftertaste score (3.67), corresponding to a moderately bitter perception. This finding indicates that, although stevia leaves are widely recognized as natural sweeteners, specific treatments may influence the residual taste perceived after consumption. Panelists’ responses to aftertaste showed moderate variation, with scores ranging from 2.81 to 3.67, representing aftertaste intensity from slightly bitter to moderately bitter. The increased intensity of the moderately bitter aftertaste observed in the P 0 D 3 treatment may be attributed to the accumulation of glycosidic compounds in stevia leaves. Although these compounds contribute substantial sweetness, they can also impart a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste, particularly when the proportion of stevioside is higher than that of rebaudiosides. In this context, the absence of pruning may promote the production of a larger leaf biomass, potentially increasing stevioside concentration and thereby enhancing the perceived bitter aftertaste. In addition, the application of eco enzyme as a liquid organic fertilizer can act as a growth stimulant and has been reported to improve yield and product quality in stevia cultivation, which may indirectly influence the taste profile of the leaves (Wahyuni et al ., 2025). Several steviol glycosides are known to elicit a pronounced bitter and lingering aftertaste, especially stevioside and certain rebaudiosides, whereas Reb D and Reb M exhibit minimal bitterness and a more rapidly decaying aftertaste (Tao et a l., 2020). Taste receptor assays have shown that steviol glycosides activate the human bitter taste receptors hTAS2R4 and hTAS2R14, explaining the bitter and off‑taste sensations perceived by some consumers (Hellfritsch et al ., 2012; Acevedo et al ., 2016). Beyond steviol glycosides, leaf polyphenols, tannins, and pigments in less refined stevia extracts also contribute to bitter, astringent, and “herbal/medicinal” flavor attributes (Silva et al ., 2020). Table 4 . Results of the Mann Whitney aftertaste analysis of stevia Treatment p -value Notes P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 1 0,351 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 0 D 2 0,001 there are changes P 0 D 0 - P 0 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 2 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 1 – P 0 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 0 D 2 – P 0 D 3 0,110 no difference P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 1 0,042 there are changes P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 2 0,007 there are changes P 1 D 0 – P 1 D 3 0,722 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 2 0,219 no difference P 1 D 1 – P 1 D 3 0,029 there are changes P 1 D 2 – P 1 D 3 0,003 there are changes P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 1 0,965 no difference P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 2 0,016 there are changes P 2 D 0 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 2 0,036 there are changes P 2 D 1 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 2 D 2 – P 2 D 3 0,010 there are changes P 0 D 0 – P 1 D 0 0,080 no difference P 0 D 0 – P 2 D 0 0,102 no difference P 0 D 1 – P 1 D 1 0,016 there are changes P 1 D 1 – P 2 D 1 0,004 there are changes P 0 D 2 – P 1 D 2 0,002 there are changes P 1 D 2 – P 2 D 2 0,624 no difference P 0 D 3 – P 1 D 3 0,000 there are changes P 1 D 3 – P 2 D 3 0,000 there are changes 4. Limitations and future prospects This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. The sensory evaluation involved 100 panelists, which may not fully represent broader consumer preferences, and the use of untrained panelists may have introduced subjectivity and variability in the assessment. The evaluation was limited to selected sensory attributes, namely sweetness, color, aroma, and aftertaste, while other important parameters such as texture, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability were not included. In addition, the hedonic scale provided subjective preference data without detailed descriptive sensory characterization, and environmental conditions during testing as well as individual differences in taste perception may have influenced the results. Future research should involve a larger and more diverse group of panelists to enhance the generalizability of the results. The use of trained sensory panels and descriptive sensory analysis methods is recommended to obtain more comprehensive product characterization. Further studies should also include additional sensory attributes, integrate sensory evaluation with physicochemical analyses and consumer preference studies, and examine product stability and acceptance under different storage conditions to support product optimization and broader application. 5. Conclusions This study shows that shoot pruning and eco enzyme application significantly affect the organoleptic characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. Treatment without pruning with 3 ml/L eco enzyme produced the highest sweetness level and neutral aroma, while pruning at 8 weeks post-planting with 3 ml/L eco enzyme produced the best color. The aftertaste still tended to be bitter, although it was reduced in some treatments. Overall, eco enzyme application plays a role in improving the organoleptic quality of stevia, thus potentially supporting its development as a natural sweetener in healthy food products. Declarations Acknowledgements This research did not receive any grant or funding from individuals or organizations Authors’ Contributions Riska Wahyuni designed the research concept, conducted the literature search, data extraction, and analysis, and drafted the initial manuscript. Chairani Hanum assisted in data analysis and interpretation. Lisa Mawarni contributed to literature review and manuscript editing. Funding This research did not receive any grant or funding from individuals or organizations Data Availability Statement The datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request Ethics Statement Ethical approval was waived by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara, because the study involved voluntary sensory evaluation with minimal risk and no collection of sensitive personal data. All participants provided informed consent before participating in the sensory evaluation. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines of Universitas Sumatera Utara. Consent to participate Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants involved in the study. Plant Guidelines The collection and use of Stevia rebaudiana in this study complied with institutional and national guidelines. Permission to Collect Plants The plant materials used in this study were obtained from cultivated sources and no special permission was required for their collection. Competing Interest The authors declare that there no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript. In addition, the ethical issues, including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication or falsification, double publication or submission, and redundancy, were observed by the author References Abdullateef, R., & Osman, M. (2011). Studies on Effects of Pruning on Vegetative Traits in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (Compositae). International Journal of Biology , 4, 146. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijb.v4n1p146. Abubakar, M., Gutti, B., & Abubakar, A. (2023). Review: Natural Sweetener from Stevia rebaudiana bertoni Leave. Applied Research and Innovation . https://doi.org/10.54536/ari.v1i1.1530. Acevedo, W., González-Nilo, F., & Agosin, E. (2016). Docking and Molecular Dynamics of Steviol Glycoside-Human Bitter Receptor Interactions.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry , 64 40, 7585-7596 . https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6b02840. Ajami, M., Seyfi, M., Hosseini, F., Naseri, P., Velayati, A., Mahmoudnia, F., Zahedirad, M., & Hajifaraji, M. (2020). Effects of stevia on glycemic and lipid profile of type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized controlled trial. Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine , 10, 118 - 127. https://doi.org/10.22038/ajp.2019.13652. Al-Fekaiki, D., & Al-Temimi, B. (2021). Extracting Sweetening and Bioactive Compounds From Stevia Rebaudiana Using Cellulase Enzyme. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science , 910. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/910/1/012022. Calapardo, M., & Manigo, B. (2024). Enhancing Herbage Growth, Yield and Quality of Stevia ( Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) using Bio-Organic Nutrients in Varied Soil Media. Sains Malaysiana . https://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2024-5303-05. Ciriminna, R., Meneguzzo, F., Pecoraino, M., & Pagliaro, M. (2018). A bioeconomy perspective for natural sweetener Stevia. Biofuels , 13. https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1968. Czinkóczky, R., & Németh, Á. (2021). Enrichment of the rebaudioside A concentration in Stevia rebaudiana extract with cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase from Bacillus licheniformis DSM 13. Engineering in Life Sciences , 22, 30 - 39. https://doi.org/10.1002/elsc.202100111. Diez-Simon, C., Mumm, R., & Hall, R. (2019). Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics of volatiles as a new tool for understanding aroma and flavour chemistry in processed food products. Metabolomics , 15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11306-019-1493-6. Farhat, G., Berset, V., & Moore, L. (2019). Effects of Stevia Extract on Postprandial Glucose Response, Satiety and Energy Intake: A Three-Arm Crossover Trial. Nutrients , 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11123036. Fatima, T. (2018). Extraction, preparation, sensory evaluation and sweet perception of Stevia rebaudiana based food products. Pure and Applied Biology . https://doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2018.70098. Fominykh, M., Khomutov, T., & Kurdyukov, E. (2020). A New Method Of Quantitative Determination Of Pigments In Stevia Leaves. . https://doi.org/10.21685/2307-9150-2020-2-3. Hasanaklou, N., Sedghi, M., Moradi, F., Ghadim, A., & Ghodehkahriz, S. (2020). Greenhouse evaluation of branching, leaf yield and biochemical compositions of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni to decapitation and foliar application of abscisic acid and fluridone.. Functional plant biology : FPB . https://doi.org/10.1071/fp20045. Hellfritsch, C., Brockhoff, A., Stähler, F., Meyerhof, W., & Hofmann, T. (2012). Human psychometric and taste receptor responses to steviol glycosides.. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry , 60 27, 6782-93 . https://doi.org/10.1021/jf301297n. Hernández, K., Moreno-Romero, J., De La Torre, H., Manriquez, C., Leal, D., & Martínez-García, J. (2021). Effect of light intensity on steviol glycosides production in leaves of Stevia rebaudiana plants.. Phytochemistry , 194, 113027 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.113027. Kaushik, R., Narayanan, P., Vasudevan, V., Muthukumaran, G., & Usha, A. (2010). Nutrient composition of cultivated stevia leaves and the influence of polyphenols and plant pigments on sensory and antioxidant properties of leaf extracts. Journal of Food Science and Technology , 47, 27-33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-010-0011-7. Khilar, S., Singh, A., Biagi, M., & Sharma, A. (2022). Exploring Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni on phytochemistry, extraction methods, applications and health benefits: A perspective ingredient for food industry. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2022.100458. Kriswantoro, H., Nasser, G., Zairani, F., Nisfuriah, L., Rompas, J., Dali, D., Hasani, B., Yulianto, D., & Sofian, A. (2022). Utilization of Eco Enzyme from Household Organic Waste to Maintain Soil Fertility and Plant Pest Control. Altifani Journal: International Journal of Community Engagement . https://doi.org/10.32502/altifani.v3i1.5355. Lima, M., Baillon, F., Espitalier, F., Hastoy, C., & Boutié, P. (2021). Ultrasound-assisted Extraction Process of Glycosides from Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni Leaves. Chemical engineering transactions , 86, 1459-1464. https://doi.org/10.3303/cet2186244. Medeiros, A., Tavares, E., & Bolini, H. (2022). Descriptive Sensory Profile and Consumer Study Impact of Different Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners on the Descriptive, Temporal Profile, and Consumer Acceptance in a Peach Juice Matrix. Foods , 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020244. Nasrullah, N., Ahmad, J., Saifi, M., Shah, I., Nissar, U., Quadri, S., Ashrafi, K., & Abdin, M. (2023). Enhancement of diterpenoid steviol glycosides by co-overexpressing SrKO and SrUGT76G1 genes in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. PLOS ONE , 18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260085. Nuryandani, E., Kurnianto, D., Jasmadi, J., Sefrienda, A., Novitasari, E., Apriyati, E., Wanita, Y., Indrasari, S., Sunaryanto, R., Tjokrokusumo, D., Yani, A., Suryaningtyas, I., & Andriana, Y. (2024). Phytotoxic and Cytotoxic Effects, Antioxidant Potentials, and Phytochemical Constituents of Stevia rebaudiana Leaves. Scientifica , 2024. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/2200993. Orellana-Paucar, A. (2023). Steviol Glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana: An Updated Overview of Their Sweetening Activity, Pharmacological Properties, and Safety Aspects. Molecules , 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28031258. Paendong, A., Horopu, L., Momongan, R., Durandt, N., Rey, J., & Manginsela, E. (2023). Eco Style: Pemanfaatan Eco Enzyme Sebagai Pupuk Organik Lokal Yang Menguntungkan Pada Produksi Dan Pendapatan Usahatani Stevia Rebaudiana . AGRI-SOSIOEKONOMI . https://doi.org/10.35791/agrsosek.v19i1.46748. Pala, P.K., Ramdeen, P. & Vijaylata, P. (2013). Effect of Decapitation and Nutrient Applications on Shoot Branching, Yield, and Accumulation of Secondary Metabolites in Leaves of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Journal of Plant Physiology , 170(17): 1526-1535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2013.06.017 Pu, D., Shan, Y., Wang, J., Sun, B., Xu, Y., Zhang, W., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Recent trends in aroma release and perception during food oral processing: A review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition , 64, 3441 - 3457. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2132209. Putnik, P., Bezuk, I., Barba, F., Lorenzo, J., Polunić, I., & Bursać, D. (2020). Sugar reduction: Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni as a natural sweetener. Agri-Food Industry Strategies for Healthy Diets and Sustainability . https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-817226-1.00005-9. Roohinejad, S., Koubaa, M., & Gharibzahedi, S. (2025). Drying Technologies for Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni: Advances, Challenges, and Impacts on Bioactivity for Food Applications—A Review. Foods , 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162801. Rukmana, H. R. (2003). Budidaya Stevia . Kanisius. Jakarta. Rybchuk, L., Lushchak, O., Storey, K., Bayliak, M., & Peteliuk, V. (2021). Natural sweetener Stevia rebaudiana : Functionalities, health benefits and potential risks. EXCLI Journal , 20: 1412 – 1430, https://doi.org/10.17179/excli2021-4211. Samuel, P., Ayoob, K., Magnuson, B., Wölwer-Rieck, U., Jeppesen, P., Rogers, P., Rowland, I., & Mathews, R. (2018). Stevia Leaf to Stevia Sweetener: Exploring Its Science, Benefits, and Future Potential.. The Journal of nutrition , 148 7, 1186S-1205S . https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy102. Setyaningsih, D., Anton, A. & Maya, P. S. (2010). Analisis Sensoris untuk Industri Pangan dan Agro. IPB Press. Bogor. Sharma, P., Sharma, D., Pawan, R., Coutinho, D., Arroo, R., & Malik, S. (2025). Exploring the Bioactive Components of Stevia Essential Oil and Their Versatile Applications in the Food, Cosmetic, and Agricultural Domains. Chemistry & Biodiversity , 22. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202500562. Silva, S., Formigoni, M., Zorzenon, M., Milani, P., Dacome, A., Seixas, F., & Costa, S. (2020). Development of diet cereal bar sweetened with stevia leaves pre-treated with ethanol. Food Science and Technology International , 40, 894-901. https://doi.org/10.1590/fst.19319. Singh, J., & Sharma, S. (2025). Phytochemical Screening, Pharmacognostics Ch- Aracterization, And Chromatographic Analysis (Tlc/Hptlc) Of Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni Leaf Extract. Current Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences . https://doi.org/10.24092/crps.2025.150204. Tao, R., & Cho, S. (2020). Consumer-Based Sensory Characterization of Steviol Glycosides (Rebaudioside A, D, and M). Foods , 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9081026. Tarigan, E., Hardianti, C., & Rifqi, M. (2024). Exploring the Sensory Profile of Stevia Coffee Using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) Method and Chemical Analysis. Indonesian Journal of Applied Research (IJAR) . https://doi.org/10.30997/ijar.v5i1.454. Wahyuni, R., Hanum, C., & Mawarni, L. (2025, June). Adaptation Strategy of Stevia in the Lowlands Through Pruning and Eco Enzyme Based on Morphofisiology Characteristics. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Agriculture Strategy for Sustainability (ICASS) (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 295-300). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8990717","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":606621793,"identity":"d53b069f-a816-4812-bae4-e663845defd2","order_by":0,"name":"Riska Wahyuni","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of North Sumatera","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Riska","middleName":"","lastName":"Wahyuni","suffix":""},{"id":606621796,"identity":"e8c33b8a-7d71-43eb-8fce-f85eb1485d00","order_by":1,"name":"Chairani Hanum","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of North Sumatera","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chairani","middleName":"","lastName":"Hanum","suffix":""},{"id":606621799,"identity":"8aef3820-ac0a-47e9-93e1-0d137df7e058","order_by":2,"name":"Lisa Mawarni","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of North Sumatera","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lisa","middleName":"","lastName":"Mawarni","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-02-27 17:55:04","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8990717/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8990717/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104904130,"identity":"4157dd4d-a746-431b-a3a0-cdba73d5d3c7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-18 13:43:19","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":84522,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSensory Analysis Results of Stevia Leaves\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8990717/v1/329b164990183476a665ae8b.png"},{"id":104904137,"identity":"8d8fc2d7-3b50-4ace-8930-350c9dd7c200","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-18 13:43:27","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1028326,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8990717/v1/2bc82264-1dd8-4a58-b241-32ce4fa3e45e.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Effectiveness of Apical Pruning and Eco Enzyme Application on The Organoleptic Characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Leaves","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eStevia (\u003cem\u003eStevia rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e Bertoni) is a natural sweetener plant with a sweetness level 200\u0026ndash;300 times higher than sucrose (Rybchuk et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Stevia leaves contain more than 30 types of steviol glycosides, with two main components, stevioside and rebaudioside A, as the principal contributors to sweetness. The stevioside content in the leaves is about 4\u0026ndash;13% and rebaudioside A is 2\u0026ndash;4% of the total glycosides (Pateliuk \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2021; Al-Fekaiki \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2021). The main advantage of stevia is that it does not increase blood glucose levels because steviol glycosides are not digested into glucose, so stevia intake does not raise acute blood sugar and can replace sucrose without adding calories (Ajami et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Farhat et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Stevia is now widely used in foods, beverages, and supplements, and its global market is projected to be worth more than USD 1\u0026nbsp;billion, continuing to grow as new products are launched each year (Samuel et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e; Ciriminna et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Demand is driven by consumers\u0026rsquo; desire to reduce sugar intake and avoid synthetic sweeteners, as well as their preference for sweeteners perceived as \u0026ldquo;natural\u0026rdquo; and zero-calorie (Putnik et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn addition to the content of active compounds, the sensory qualities of stevia such as sweetness level, infusion color, aroma, and aftertaste are crucial for consumer acceptance. One persistent challenge in the use of stevia is the bitter aftertaste, which can reduce liking. Stevioside is the main glycoside in stevia leaves and is known as the primary contributor to bitter and disturbing bitter aftertastes, thereby limiting its use at high levels (Medeiros et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Rebaudioside A has higher sweetness potency and lower bitterness than stevioside, so extracts with a higher Reb A ratio generally provide a more preferable flavor profile. Stevioside more readily activates human bitter taste receptors hTAS2R4 and hTAS2R14, whereas rebaudioside A and M exhibit a sweeter taste and a cleaner aftertaste (Nasrullah et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, cultivation strategies are needed that not only increase plant productivity but also improve the organoleptic quality of stevia leaves.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePruning shoots is a simple cultivation technique that can affect vegetative growth, leaf production, and the accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants (Pala et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e). This treatment has the potential to improve leaf quality, including the content of natural sweetening compounds. At the same time, the use of eco enzymes produced by fermenting organic wastes such as fruit peels, brown sugar, and water is increasingly being investigated as a natural biostimulant. Eco enzymes contain enzymes, organic acids, and growth hormones that can improve soil fertility, stimulate plant metabolism, and enhance crop quality in an environmentally friendly way (Paendong et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In stevia, eco enzyme fertilization has been shown to accelerate growth, increase leaf number, and raise fresh leaf yield compared with other organic fertilizers, thereby increasing production and farmers\u0026rsquo; income (Kriswantoro et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Combining shoot pruning and eco enzyme application is therefore expected not only to improve stevia growth and productivity, but also to contribute to the organoleptic quality of the leaves by increasing steviol glycoside accumulation and overall leaf biomass (Hasanaklou et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e; Abdullateef \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2011; Calapardo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2024). Sensory evaluation is essential to determine how far these treatments can enhance sweetness, improve infusion color, increase aroma, and minimize undesirable aftertaste (Kaushik et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e; Tarigan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Fatima \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2018).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Methodology","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.1. Study Area\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was conducted on research land located at 03\u0026deg; 53\u0026acute; 09.7\u0026rdquo; North Latitude, 098\u0026deg; 64\u0026acute; 00.0\u0026rdquo; East Longitude with an altitude of \u0026plusmn;32 meters above sea level. The analysis was carried out at the Biotechnology and Pests Diseases Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra, at Jl. Dr. A. Sofian No.3, Padang Bulan, Kec. Medan Baru, Medan. This research was conducted from June to August 2024. The plant material used in this study was \u003cem\u003eStevia rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e Bertoni obtained from local farmers in Kediri, East Java, Indonesia. The plants were cultivated under conventional agricultural conditions. Healthy plants with uniform morphological characteristics were selected and used as experimental materials for the apical pruning and eco-enzyme treatments.The tools used in this study included serving glasses, spoons, a teapot, a beaker, a digital scale, sample codes, an organoleptic assessment sheet, writing instruments, and a stopwatch.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.2. Procedures\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe design used in this research was a factorial complete randomized block design with 2 factors and 3 replications. The first factor is pruning (4 and 8 WAP), while the second factor is Eco Enzyme (0, 1,2, and 3 ml/l water). Pruning is carried out in accordance with the research treatment, namely 4 WAP and 8 WAP on the fifth leaf sitting from the tip of the shoot., while Eco enzyme Eco enzyme is applied once every 2 weeks with a concentration determined according to the treatment, namely 0, 1, 2 and 3 ml/l water. Eco enzyme is given by spraying it on the entire plant canopy. To determine the volume of eco enzyme spray that will be used, calibrate first with a 1 liter handsprayer. Control of nuisance organisms is focused on minimizing pest attacks and prioritizing plant-based control. The pest many attacks include aphids (\u003cem\u003eAphis\u003c/em\u003e sp), armyworms (\u003cem\u003eHelionthis\u003c/em\u003e sp.), grasshoppers and caterpillars/span caterpillars. This type of pest can be controlled by biological pesticide neem seed extract.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStevia harvesting is carried out when the plants are 75 days old. The ideal time for harvesting is in the morning. Harvesting is done by cutting the stems about 10-15 cm from the ground using pruning shears. Post-harvest activities for stevia include picking the leaves attached to the stems and sorting them to separate the low-quality leaves. Next, washing is carried out to clean the leaves of dirt to maintain the quality of the stevia. For drying stevia leaves, use the air drying method in a dry, shaded place, which takes about one week. The dried leaves are yellowish-green in color with a maximum moisture content of 10%, a minimum stevioside content of 10%, and a maximum impurity content of 3% (Rukmana., \u0026nbsp;2003).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2.3. \u0026nbsp;Sensory Evaluation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSensory evaluation was conducted using a hedonic test to assess panelists\u0026rsquo; acceptance of the product. A total of 100 panelists evaluated sensory attributes including sweetness, color, aroma, and aftertaste. The assessment was based on a 5-point hedonic scale ranging from 1 to 5, where 1 = strongly dislike, 2 = dislike, 3 = neutral, 4 = like, and 5 = strongly like, following the method described by Setyaningsih et al. (2010), with modifications to the evaluated parameters.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe modified scoring criteria for each attribute were as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eSweetness\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;: 1 (very sweet), 2 (sweet), 3 (moderately sweet), 4 (slightly sweet), and 5 (not sweet).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eColor\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;: 1 (dark brown), 2 (light brown), 3 (yellow), 4 (slightly yellow), and 5 (greenish).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAroma\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;: 1 (very strong), 2 (strong), 3 (neutral), 4 (weak), and 5 (very weak).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAftertaste \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;: 1 (very bitter), 2 (bitter), 3 (moderately bitter), 4 (slightly bitter), and 5 (not bitter).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"3.\tResult","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe sensory evaluation of stevia leaves, assessed using four parameters, showed variable responses depending on treatment effects, with statistical significance determined using SPSS analysis. The sensory characteristics under shoot pruning and eco enzyme application treatments are presented in Figure 1.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.1 Sweetness Level\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe normality test results indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, indicating that the sensory data for stevia sweetness were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non parametric Kruskal Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for sweetness under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sub\u003e(no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest sweetness level, with a score of 3.21, which was perceived as moderately sweet by the panelists. Overall, panelists\u0026rsquo; preference for stevia leaf taste showed relatively small variation, ranging from 2.67 to 3.21, corresponding to slightly sweet to moderately sweet perceptions. The Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on sweetness (p = 0.004 \u0026lt; 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently performed using the Mann Whitney test to evaluate differences between treatment groups, and the results are presented in the following table.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Table 1, the Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney test results for sweetness indicated significant differences (p \u0026lt; 0.05) between several treatment pairs, namely P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 0 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 0 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), as well as P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), indicating significant differences in sweetness levels among these treatments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTreatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme application) exhibited a moderately sweet taste with a score of 3.21. This result suggests that the absence of shoot pruning combined with eco enzyme application may enhance the production of sweet compounds in stevia leaves, thereby increasing perceived sweetness. The increased leaf production under this treatment may contribute to higher concentrations of glycosidic compounds, particularly stevioside and rebaudioside, which are the primary constituents responsible for the sweetness of stevia leaves. Steviol glycosides are typically approximately 200\u0026ndash;300 times sweeter than sucrose on a sweetness equivalence basis per unit dry weight (Hernandez \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2021; Abubakar \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2023). The total steviol glycoside content in stevia leaves usually ranges from about 4% to 20% of dry weight, depending on genotype and cultivation conditions (Orellana, 2023). Among the numerous steviol glycosides identified, the two predominant sweet constituents are stevioside, accounting for roughly 4\u0026ndash;13% (w/w) of leaf dry weight, and rebaudioside A, accounting for about 2\u0026ndash;4% (w/w) of leaf dry weight (Czink\u0026oacute;czky \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2021; Khilar \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2022). Stevioside and rebaudioside A generally contribute approximately 5\u0026ndash;10% of leaf dry weight and represent around 90% of the total sweet steviol glycosides in conventional stevia cultivars (Lima \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1\u003c/strong\u003e. Results of the Mann Whitney test analysis of the sweetness level of stevia\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNotes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,013\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,406\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e - P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,259\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,107\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,052\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,347\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,231\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,709\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,713\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,840\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,823\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,198\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,013\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,550\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,085\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,365\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,032\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,788\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,086\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,129\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,068\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,807\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,570\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,193\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.2 Color Level\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe normality test indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, suggesting that the sensory data for stevia color were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non-parametric Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for color under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (shoot pruning at 8 MST with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest color score (3.79). Overall, panelists\u0026rsquo; preference for stevia color showed relatively small variation, ranging from 2.88 to 3.79, with yellow coloration being more dominant. The Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on color response (p \u0026lt; 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently conducted using the Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney test, and the results are presented in the following table.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Table 2, the Mann Whitney test results for color response revealed significant differences (p \u0026lt; 0.05) among several treatment pairs. Significant differences were observed between P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 0 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e, and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e. Similarly, significant differences were identified among treatments at 8 MST, including P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 0 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) compared with P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sub\u003e(8 MST + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), as well as between P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e and between P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e. In addition, significant differences were observed between P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), and between P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;). These results indicate that the treatments significantly affected the color attributes of stevia leaves.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 2\u003c/strong\u003e. Results of the Mann Whitney test analysis of stevia color levels\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNotes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,181\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e - P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,009\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,104\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,218\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,896\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,423\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,263\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,669\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,499\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,045\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,047\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,849\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,288\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,372\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,332\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,171\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,728\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,012\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSensory evaluation of stevia leaf infusion color indicated that treatment P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (shoot pruning at 4 weeks after planting combined with 3 mL eco enzyme application) produced the highest color score (3.79), corresponding to a yellow color category. This result suggests that the treatment generated a more visually appealing infusion, which was likely preferred by the panelists. Panelists\u0026rsquo; preference for the color of stevia leaf extract showed relatively low variation, with scores ranging from 2.88 to 3.79, representing color intensity from slightly yellow to yellow. The yellow coloration observed under treatment P2D3 may be associated with increased concentrations of chlorophyll and phenolic compounds in stevia leaves resulting from shoot pruning and eco enzyme application. Stevia leaves contain a complex mixture of pigments, primarily chlorophyll and carotenoid derivatives, including \u0026beta;-carotene and xanthophylls such as \u0026alpha;- and \u0026beta;-cryptoxanthin. Thin-layer chromatographic analysis reveals yellow spots with high Rf values, identified as \u0026beta;-carotene and cryptoxanthin, whereas chlorophyll a and b appear as blue‑green and yellow‑green spots rather than pure yellow, consistent with their spectral properties. Thus, the dominant yellow coloration is more appropriately attributed to carotenoids, while chlorophylls mainly contribute green to yellow‑green tones (Fominykh \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2020). In addition, flavonoids and tannins exhibit colors ranging from pale yellow to brown and can further influence the appearance of extracts, particularly in polar solvents such as ethanol or methanol (Nuryandani \u003cem\u003eet al.,\u003c/em\u003e 2024; Singh \u003cem\u003eet al.,\u003c/em\u003e 2025).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAroma\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe normality test indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, suggesting that the sensory data for stevia aroma were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non-parametric Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for aroma under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest aroma score (3.92), corresponding to a neutral aroma perception. Overall, panelists\u0026rsquo; responses to stevia aroma showed relatively low variation, with scores ranging from 3.21 to 3.92, indicating a generally neutral aroma profile. The Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on aroma response (p \u0026lt; 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently conducted using the Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney test, and the results are presented in the following table.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3. Results of the Mann Whitney test analysis of stevia aroma levels\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNotes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,133\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,373\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e - P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,005\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,307\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,484\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,012\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,079\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,021\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,522\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,071\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,943\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,178\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,047\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,176\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,231\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,622\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,791\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,913\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,050\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,045\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,041\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,833\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Table 3, the Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney test results for aroma response revealed significant differences (p \u0026lt; 0.05) among several treatment pairs. Significant differences were observed between P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 0 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e, and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e. At 4 MST, significant differences were identified between P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 0 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), as well as between P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;). Similarly, significant differences were found among treatments at 8 MST, including P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 1 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) compared with P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;). In addition, significant differences were observed between P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), between P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (8 MST + 2 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;), and between P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (control + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;) and P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (4 MST + 3 mL L⁻\u0026sup1;). These results indicate that the treatments significantly affected the aroma characteristics of stevia leaves.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSensory evaluation of stevia leaf infusion revealed that treatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme application) produced the highest aroma score (3.92), corresponding to a neutral aroma category. This result suggests that the treatment generated a relatively more acceptable aroma profile, which may have been preferred by the panelists. Panelists\u0026rsquo; responses to stevia aroma showed limited variation, with scores ranging from 3.21 to 3.92, indicating a generally neutral aroma perception. The aroma profile observed under treatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e may be associated with increased availability of volatile compounds released during the infusion process. These compounds, derived from plant metabolic processes, contribute to the characteristic aroma of stevia leaf infusions. Aroma is a key dimension of sensory quality and a major determinant of consumer acceptance and food choice, particularly in beverages and other low‑sugar products sweetened with stevia. olatile compounds released from the food matrix enter the nasal cavity either orthonasally during sniffing or retronasally during mastication and swallowing, then dissolve in the mucus layer and bind to olfactory receptors, triggering neural signals to the brain (Pu \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2022). Only a small fraction of the thousands of food volatiles are truly odor‑active and define the specific aroma character of a given product (Diez \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2019). Stevia essential oil, rich in terpenoids and phenolic compounds, shows antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and therefore has potential as a natural preservative that can simultaneously provide a mild herbal aroma in foods (Sharma \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2025). To improve sensory acceptance, formulators frequently employ aroma‑masking strategies, such as blending with congruent flavors (e.g., citrus or other fruit notes) or applying encapsulation technologies to modulate flavor release and attenuate undesirable aftertastes (Roohinejad \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2025).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3.4 Aftertaste\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe normality test indicated that the combined treatment of shoot pruning and eco enzyme application produced p-values lower than 0.05, suggesting that the sensory data for stevia aftertaste were not normally distributed. Therefore, a non-parametric Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test was applied. The mean organoleptic scores for aftertaste under different shoot pruning and eco enzyme treatments are presented in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, treatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme concentration) exhibited the highest aftertaste score (3.67), corresponding to a moderately bitter perception. Panelists\u0026rsquo; responses to stevia aftertaste showed relatively low variability, with scores ranging from 2.78 to 3.67, indicating aftertaste intensity from slightly bitter to moderately bitter. The Kruskal\u0026ndash;Wallis test at a 95% confidence level revealed a significant effect of treatment on aftertaste (p \u0026lt; 0.05), indicating significant differences among treatments. Pairwise comparisons were subsequently conducted using the Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney test, and the results are presented in the following table.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on Table 4, the Mann\u0026ndash;Whitney test results for aftertaste revealed significant differences among several treatments (p \u0026lt; 0.05), indicating that the applied treatments significantly influenced the aftertaste of stevia leaf infusions. Sensory evaluation showed that treatment P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e (no shoot pruning with 3 mL eco enzyme application) produced the highest aftertaste score (3.67), corresponding to a moderately bitter perception. This finding indicates that, although stevia leaves are widely recognized as natural sweeteners, specific treatments may influence the residual taste perceived after consumption. Panelists\u0026rsquo; responses to aftertaste showed moderate variation, with scores ranging from 2.81 to 3.67, representing aftertaste intensity from slightly bitter to moderately bitter. The increased intensity of the moderately bitter aftertaste observed in the P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e treatment may be attributed to the accumulation of glycosidic compounds in stevia leaves. Although these compounds contribute substantial sweetness, they can also impart a bitter or licorice-like aftertaste, particularly when the proportion of stevioside is higher than that of rebaudiosides. In this context, the absence of pruning may promote the production of a larger leaf biomass, potentially increasing stevioside concentration and thereby enhancing the perceived bitter aftertaste. In addition, the application of eco enzyme as a liquid organic fertilizer can act as a growth stimulant and has been reported to improve yield and product quality in stevia cultivation, which may indirectly influence the taste profile of the leaves (Wahyuni \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2025). Several steviol glycosides are known to elicit a pronounced bitter and lingering aftertaste, especially stevioside and certain rebaudiosides, whereas Reb D and Reb M exhibit minimal bitterness and a more rapidly decaying aftertaste (Tao \u003cem\u003eet a\u003c/em\u003el., 2020). \u0026nbsp; Taste receptor assays have shown that steviol glycosides activate the human bitter taste receptors hTAS2R4 and hTAS2R14, explaining the bitter and off‑taste sensations perceived by some consumers (Hellfritsch \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2012; Acevedo \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2016). Beyond steviol glycosides, leaf polyphenols, tannins, and pigments in less refined stevia extracts also contribute to bitter, astringent, and \u0026ldquo;herbal/medicinal\u0026rdquo; flavor attributes (Silva \u003cem\u003eet al\u003c/em\u003e., 2020).\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 4\u003c/strong\u003e. Results of the Mann Whitney aftertaste analysis of stevia\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"fr-table-selection-hover\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTreatment\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e-value\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNotes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,351\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,001\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e - P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,110\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,042\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,007\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,722\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,219\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,029\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,003\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,965\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,036\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,010\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,080\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,102\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,004\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,002\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,624\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eno difference\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e0\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 192px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eP\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e \u0026ndash; P\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eD\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0,000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd valign=\"top\" style=\"width: 168px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ethere are changes\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4. Limitations and future prospects","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. The sensory evaluation involved 100 panelists, which may not fully represent broader consumer preferences, and the use of untrained panelists may have introduced subjectivity and variability in the assessment. The evaluation was limited to selected sensory attributes, namely sweetness, color, aroma, and aftertaste, while other important parameters such as texture, mouthfeel, and overall acceptability were not included. In addition, the hedonic scale provided subjective preference data without detailed descriptive sensory characterization, and environmental conditions during testing as well as individual differences in taste perception may have influenced the results.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFuture research should involve a larger and more diverse group of panelists to enhance the generalizability of the results. The use of trained sensory panels and descriptive sensory analysis methods is recommended to obtain more comprehensive product characterization. Further studies should also include additional sensory attributes, integrate sensory evaluation with physicochemical analyses and consumer preference studies, and examine product stability and acceptance under different storage conditions to support product optimization and broader application.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study shows that shoot pruning and eco enzyme application significantly affect the organoleptic characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. Treatment without pruning with 3 ml/L eco enzyme produced the highest sweetness level and neutral aroma, while pruning at 8 weeks post-planting with 3 ml/L eco enzyme produced the best color. The aftertaste still tended to be bitter, although it was reduced in some treatments. Overall, eco enzyme application plays a role in improving the organoleptic quality of stevia, thus potentially supporting its development as a natural sweetener in healthy food products.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research did not receive any grant or funding from individuals or organizations\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRiska Wahyuni designed the research concept, conducted the literature search, data extraction, and analysis, and drafted the initial manuscript. Chairani Hanum assisted in data analysis and interpretation. Lisa Mawarni contributed to literature review and manuscript editing.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research did not receive any grant or funding from individuals or organizations\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval was waived by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sumatera Utara, because the study involved voluntary sensory evaluation with minimal risk and no collection of sensitive personal data. All participants provided informed consent before participating in the sensory evaluation. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical guidelines of Universitas Sumatera Utara.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent was obtained from all individual participants involved in the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlant Guidelines\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection and use of \u003cem\u003eStevia rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e in this study complied with institutional and national guidelines.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePermission to Collect Plants\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plant materials used in this study were obtained from cultivated sources and no special permission was required for their collection.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that there no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this manuscript. In addition, the ethical issues, including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication or falsification, double publication or submission, and redundancy, were observed by the author\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbdullateef, R., \u0026amp; Osman, M. (2011). Studies on Effects of Pruning on Vegetative Traits in \u003cem\u003eStevia rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e Bertoni (Compositae). \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Biology\u003c/em\u003e, 4, 146. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijb.v4n1p146.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbubakar, M., Gutti, B., \u0026amp; Abubakar, A. (2023). Review: Natural Sweetener from \u003cem\u003eStevia rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e bertoni Leave. \u003cem\u003eApplied Research and Innovation\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.54536/ari.v1i1.1530.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAcevedo, W., Gonz\u0026aacute;lez-Nilo, F., \u0026amp; Agosin, E. (2016). 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Descriptive Sensory Profile and Consumer Study Impact of Different Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners on the Descriptive, Temporal Profile, and Consumer Acceptance in a Peach Juice Matrix. \u003cem\u003eFoods\u003c/em\u003e, 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020244.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNasrullah, N., Ahmad, J., Saifi, M., Shah, I., Nissar, U., Quadri, S., Ashrafi, K., \u0026amp; Abdin, M. (2023). Enhancement of diterpenoid steviol glycosides by co-overexpressing SrKO and SrUGT76G1 genes in \u003cem\u003eStevia rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e Bertoni. \u003cem\u003ePLOS ONE\u003c/em\u003e, 18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0260085.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNuryandani, E., Kurnianto, D., Jasmadi, J., Sefrienda, A., Novitasari, E., Apriyati, E., Wanita, Y., Indrasari, S., Sunaryanto, R., Tjokrokusumo, D., Yani, A., Suryaningtyas, I., \u0026amp; Andriana, Y. (2024). Phytotoxic and Cytotoxic Effects, Antioxidant Potentials, and Phytochemical Constituents of Stevia rebaudiana Leaves. \u003cem\u003eScientifica\u003c/em\u003e, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/2200993.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrellana-Paucar, A. (2023). Steviol Glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana: An Updated Overview of Their Sweetening Activity, Pharmacological Properties, and Safety Aspects. \u003cem\u003eMolecules\u003c/em\u003e, 28. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28031258.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePaendong, A., Horopu, L., Momongan, R., Durandt, N., Rey, J., \u0026amp; Manginsela, E. (2023). Eco Style: Pemanfaatan Eco Enzyme Sebagai Pupuk Organik Lokal Yang Menguntungkan Pada Produksi Dan Pendapatan Usahatani \u003cem\u003eStevia Rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eAGRI-SOSIOEKONOMI\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.35791/agrsosek.v19i1.46748.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePala, P.K., Ramdeen, P. \u0026amp; Vijaylata, P. (2013). 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Phytochemical Screening, Pharmacognostics Ch- Aracterization, And Chromatographic Analysis (Tlc/Hptlc) Of \u003cem\u003eStevia Rebaudiana\u003c/em\u003e Bertoni Leaf Extract. \u003cem\u003eCurrent Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.24092/crps.2025.150204.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTao, R., \u0026amp; Cho, S. (2020). Consumer-Based Sensory Characterization of Steviol Glycosides (Rebaudioside A, D, and M). \u003cem\u003eFoods\u003c/em\u003e, 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9081026.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTarigan, E., Hardianti, C., \u0026amp; Rifqi, M. (2024). Exploring the Sensory Profile of Stevia Coffee Using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) Method and Chemical Analysis. \u003cem\u003eIndonesian Journal of Applied Research (IJAR)\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.30997/ijar.v5i1.454.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWahyuni, R., Hanum, C., \u0026amp; Mawarni, L. (2025, June). Adaptation Strategy of Stevia in the Lowlands Through Pruning and Eco Enzyme Based on Morphofisiology Characteristics. In \u003cem\u003eProceedings of the International Conference on Agriculture Strategy for Sustainability (ICASS)\u003c/em\u003e (Vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 295-300). \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-food","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discoverfood","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Food](https://www.springer.com/44187)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Food","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Apical Pruning, Eco Enzyme, Sensory, Stevia","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8990717/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8990717/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eStevia is a natural sweetener with potential as a sugar substitute. Acceptance of stevia products is largely determined by organoleptic qualities such as sweetness, color, aroma, and aftertaste. This study evaluated the effect of pruning and eco enzyme on the sensory attributes of stevia. A factorial randomized block design was used with two factors: shoot pruning (0, 4, and 8 WAP) and eco enzyme (0, 1, 2, and 3 ml/L), each with three replications. Organoleptic evaluation employed the hedonic method with 100 panelists. Results showed that treatment combinations significantly affected sensory parameters. The highest sweetness (3.21) and neutral aroma (3.92) were obtained from unpruned plants treated with 3 ml/L eco enzyme, while pruning at 8 weeks with 3 ml/L eco enzyme gave the best color (3.79). Aftertaste remained moderately bitter but tended to improve in some treatments. Eco enzyme application enhanced sensory quality, supporting stevia\u0026rsquo;s potential in healthy food products.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Effectiveness of Apical Pruning and Eco Enzyme Application on The Organoleptic Characteristics of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Leaves","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-18 13:43:11","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8990717/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-04-20T11:05:17+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-04T04:29:41+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-26T11:29:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"300925128482684768641690311099241003903","date":"2026-03-26T00:57:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-20T17:39:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"155453068811535957990811479822473858590","date":"2026-03-18T17:14:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"31849455912966838927745114467285396608","date":"2026-03-18T10:36:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-03-16T05:54:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-03-14T09:44:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-03-14T06:16:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Food","date":"2026-03-14T06:09:26+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-food","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"discoverfood","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Food](https://www.springer.com/44187)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Discover Food","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"51fc0d7c-9f6c-4013-96ec-e1cb2d4dddac","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 18th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-30T09:23:12+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-18 13:43:11","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8990717","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8990717","identity":"rs-8990717","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}