Tobacco alkaloids reduction by casings added/enzymatic hydrolysis treatments assessed through PLSR analysis

- Effect of casings added and enzymatic hydrolysis treatments on tobacco alkaloids.
- Nicotine contents in tobacco leaves were reduced 11.5%～16.4% after treatments.
- Nicotine levels in mainstream smoke were lowered 16.8%～27.2% after treatments.
- Nicotine in tobacco leaves was positively correlated to impact, reverse to aroma attributes.
- Alkaloids in cigarette smoke significantly contributed to impact and irritation attributes.

Based on encouraged development of potential reduced-exposure products (PREPs) by the US Institute of Medicine, casings (glucose and peptides) added treatments (CAT) and enzymatic (protease and xylanase) hydrolysis treatments (EHT) were developed to study their effect on alkaloids reduction in tobacco and cigarette mainstream smoke (MS) and further investigate the correlation between sensory attributes and alkaloids. Results showed that the developed treatments reduced nicotine by 14.5% and 24.4% in tobacco and cigarette MS, respectively, indicating that both CAT and EHT are potentially effective for developing lower-risk cigarettes. Sensory and electronic nose analysis confirmed the significant influence of treatments on sensory and cigarette MS components. PLSR analysis demonstrated that tobacco alkaloids were positively correlated to the off-taste, irritation and impact attributes, and negatively correlated to the aroma and softness attributes. Additionally, nicotine and anabasine from tobacco leaves positively contributed to the impact attribute, while they negatively contributed to the aroma attribute (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, most alkaloids in cigarette MS positively contributed to the impact and irritation attributes (P < 0.05). Hence, this study paved a way to better understand the correlation between tobacco alkaloids and sensory attributes.