The Stevia rebaudiana (Bert) Bertoni is a plant native to Brazil (South of Mato Gorsso) and Paraguay, being used by the natives as a natural sweetener and for its medicinal effects. Due to these properties, the authors investigated the effects of the aqueous extract of this plant at three different concentrations, orally, on the body weight of immature Wistear rats. The solutions were prepared by cold infusion and four groups of ten animals each were used and the solutions (Stevia 1%, 2% and 4%) were administered, constituting the three experimental groups and the fourth group - the group control - distilled water was administered. The animals were both sexes and were kept under the same experimental conditions and received for 49 days, water and food at will. The weight was evaluated every 7 days and the results showed that theStevia rebaudiana , at the concentrations studied, does not alter the body weight of the animals, nor does it prevent the normal variation of their weights, once they are in the growth phase.
