The combination of two novel tobacco blends and filter technologies to reduce the in vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity of prototype cigarettes

- Tobacco smoke contains approximately 150 identified toxicants.
- Technologies that reduce tobacco smoke toxicants have been developed.
- Two toxicant reducing blend technologies were combined into an experimental cigarette.
- The particulate matter was used in a battery of in vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity assays.
- Some reductions in bacterial mutagenicity and mammalian genotoxicity were observed.

Tobacco smoke from a combustible cigarette contains more than 6000 constituents; approximately 150 of these are identified as toxicants. Technologies that modify the tobacco blend to reduce toxicant emissions have been developed. These include tobacco sheet substitute to dilute toxicants in smoke and blend treated tobacco to reduce the levels of nitrogenous precursors and some polyphenols. Filter additives to reduce gas (vapour) phase constituents have also been developed. In this study, both tobacco blend and filter technologies were combined into an experimental cigarette and smoked to International Organisation on Standardisation and Health Canada puffing parameters. The resulting particulate matter was subjected to a battery of in vitro genotoxicity and cytotoxicity assays - the Ames test, mouse lymphoma assay, the in vitro micronucleus test and the Neutral Red Uptake assay. The results indicate that cigarettes containing toxicant reducing technologies may be developed without observing new additional genotoxic hazards as assessed by the assays specified. In addition, reductions in bacterial mutagenicity and mammalian genotoxicity of the experimental cigarette were observed relative to the control cigarettes. There were no significant differences in cytotoxicity relative to the control cigarettes.