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Beitr. Tabakforsch. Int., 2000, 19-3, p. 141-58., ISSN.0173-783X

The transfer of nicotine from nicotine salts to mainstream smoke

PERFETTI T.A.; NORMAN A.B.; GORDON B.M.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, R&D, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
Transfer of nicotine to mainstream smoke was measured for Reference cigarettes made with the addition of 20-40 mg of seven different nicotine salts, d - and l -nicotine and N' -formylnornicotine. Regression analysis of the nicotine yields from these cigarettes as a function of the nicotine content of the tobacco rods indicated an average nicotine transfer efficiency (17.5%), similar to that found for a separate series of cigarettes made with single-grade tobacco materials (16.2%). Analysis of the enantiomeric purity of the smoke nicotine from the cigarettes made with added nicotine salts and neat nicotine showed no evidence of conversion between l - and d -nicotine during the smoking process. The cigarette made with added N' -formylnornicotine showed no evidence of additional nicotine transfer attributable to reduction of this compound to nicotine. A third series of cigarettes were made with varying levels of d - and l -nicotine added to a tobacco blend and to reconstituted tobacco to further investigate transfer efficiency of the enantiomers. Regression analysis indicated no statistically significant difference between transfer efficiencies of d - and l -nicotine. These results suggest that nicotine salts and d - and l -nicotine transfer to smoke at the same efficiency. However, transfer efficiency of either compound was lower when applied to reconstituted tobacco (9.7%) than when applied to the Reference tobacco blend (15.3%). The thermal stabilities of nicotine salts have little bearing on efficiency of transfer to smoke or on racemization between d - and l -nicotine. Formation of d -nicotine in mainstream smoke via reduction of N' -formylnornicotine does not appear to occur.