Chemical characterization of smokeless tobacco products from South Asia: Nicotine, unprotonated nicotine, tobacco-specific N′-Nitrosamines, and flavor compounds

- Certain South Asian smokeless tobacco, including ready-to-use products, are not well characterized.
- In this study, we measured pH and concentrations of nicotine, tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and flavor compounds.
- Products had a wide range of moisture (4.0-46.6%), pH (pH 4.99-10.0), total nicotine (0.39-35.2 mg/g) and unprotonated nicotine (<0.01-11.9 mg/g).
- Two khaini products analyzed contained higher levels of N′-Nitrosonornicotine, a compound associated with oral cancer.
- Understanding the constituents in these products is necessary for characterizing potential harm as these products become more available worldwide.