U.S. patent application number 16/809322 was filed with the patent office on 2020-06-25 for tobacco material.
This patent application is currently assigned to JAPAN TOBACCO INC.. The applicant listed for this patent is JAPAN TOBACCO INC.. Invention is credited to Keiichi HANAWA, Ryosuke NAGASE.
Application Number | 20200196657 16/809322 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 65634894 |
Filed Date | 2020-06-25 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200196657 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NAGASE; Ryosuke ; et
al. |
June 25, 2020 |
TOBACCO MATERIAL
Abstract
A tobacco material comprises an aqueous dispersion medium and
tobacco particles that are dispersed in the dispersion medium and
have an average particle size of 30 .mu.m or less, where a
hemicellulose content in the tobacco material is 0.8% by weight or
less based on bone-dry tobacco particles. The tobacco material
exhibits low viscosity as a feature.
Inventors: |
NAGASE; Ryosuke; (Tokyo,
JP) ; HANAWA; Keiichi; (Tokyo, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
JAPAN TOBACCO INC. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
65634894 |
Appl. No.: |
16/809322 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
PCT/JP2017/031947 |
Sep 5, 2017 |
|
|
|
16809322 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A24B 3/12 20130101; A24B
15/32 20130101; A24B 15/18 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A24B 15/32 20060101
A24B015/32; A24B 3/12 20060101 A24B003/12 |
Claims
1. A tobacco material comprising an aqueous dispersion medium and
tobacco particles that are dispersed in the dispersion medium and
have an average particle size of 30 .mu.m or less, wherein a
hemicellulose content in the tobacco material is 0.8% by weight or
less based on bone-dry tobacco particles.
2. The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein a pH is 4.8
or less.
3. The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous
dispersion medium contains an aqueous organic compound.
4. The tobacco material according to claim 3, wherein the aqueous
organic compound is selected from the group consisting of
monohydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, sugars,
polyhydric alcohol esters, and combinations thereof.
5. The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein a water
content in the aqueous dispersion medium exceeds 50% by weight.
6. The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein a content of
the tobacco particles is 1 to 40% by weight.
7. The tobacco material according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco
particles are particles derived from a tobacco raw material, a
fermented tobacco raw material, or a heat-treated tobacco raw
material.
8. The tobacco material according to claim 7, wherein a variety of
the tobacco raw material is flue-cured, burley, domestic, or
oriental.
9. A production method for the tobacco material according to claim
1 comprising: preparing a dispersion containing an aqueous
dispersion medium and tobacco particles that are dispersed in the
dispersion medium and have an average particle size of 30 .mu.m or
less; and heating the dispersion to 160.degree. C. or higher.
10. The production method according to claim 9, wherein the heating
is performed under pressure.
11. A tobacco product comprising the tobacco material according to
claim 1.
12. The tobacco product according to claim 11, further comprising a
base material, wherein 0.01 to 5% by weight of the tobacco
particles are contained relative to the base material.
13. A production method for the tobacco product according to claim
12 comprising adding the tobacco material to the base material.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a Continuation of PCT International
Application No. PCT/JP2017/031947, filed on Sep. 5, 2017, which is
hereby expressly incorporated by reference into the present
application.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to a tobacco material and a
tobacco product comprising the tobacco material.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] In the field of smoking articles, smoking articles that meet
various preferences are developed by adjusting smoking flavor. As a
method of adjusting smoking flavor, a method of dispersing leaf
tobacco particles in a dispersion medium and adding the resulting
dispersion to tobacco shreds is known as in Patent Literature (PTL)
1, for example. Moreover, PTL 2 discloses a method of improving
flavor through heating of a suspension of tobacco particles by
utilizing the Maillard reaction or the like (PTL 2, paragraph
[0013]). Such tobacco particles are smaller than 40 mesh (PTL 2,
paragraph [0024]), in other words, smaller than 400 .mu.m.
Meanwhile, a suspension of tobacco particles is also known as a raw
material for a reconstituted tobacco sheet, and PTL 3 discloses
that a suspension of tobacco particles with 60 to 400 mesh is
heated to 80.degree. F. to 180.degree. F. (26.7.degree. C. to
82.2.degree. C.) (PTL 3, paragraph [0056]). The particle size of
these tobacco particles is 38 to 250 .mu.m.
CITATION LIST
Patent Literature
[0004] PTL 1: WO 2014/185103
[0005] PTL 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication
No. H10-66559
[0006] PTL 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication
No. H06-46817
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0007] The method of PTL 1 is a useful technique since flavor can
be evenly imparted to tobacco shreds and the like. However, in the
preparation stage for a tobacco raw material dispersion by mixing a
tobacco raw material with solvent, such as water, present inventors
found a problem, for example, in which interactions and the like
between water and water-soluble components derived from the tobacco
raw material increase the viscosity of the dispersion, thereby
making spraying of the dispersion difficult. In view of the above,
an object of the present invention is to provide a low-viscosity
tobacco material in which tobacco particles are dispersed in an
aqueous dispersion medium. PTL 1 suggests nothing about an increase
in viscosity, and PTL 2 and 3 even lack a disclosure of such
particles. Accordingly, the above-mentioned problem is a problem
peculiar to the use of fine particles with an average particle size
of 30 .mu.m or less and is thus a novel problem found by the
present inventors.
Solution to Problem
[0008] The present inventors have resolved the above-mentioned
problem by controlling the amount of hemicellulose to a certain
value or less in a tobacco material comprising an aqueous
dispersion medium and tobacco particles that are dispersed in the
dispersion medium and have an average particle size of 30 .mu.m or
less. Specifically, the above-mentioned problem can be resolved by
the following present invention.
[0009] (1) A tobacco material comprising an aqueous dispersion
medium and tobacco particles that are dispersed in the dispersion
medium and have an average particle size of 30 .mu.m or less, where
a hemicellulose content in the tobacco material is 0.8% by weight
or less based on bone-dry tobacco particles.
[0010] (2) The tobacco material according to (1), where a pH is 4.8
or less.
[0011] (3) The tobacco material according to (1) or (2), where the
aqueous dispersion medium contains an aqueous organic compound.
[0012] (4) The tobacco material according to (3), where the aqueous
organic compound is selected from the group consisting of
monohydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, sugars,
polyhydric alcohol esters, and combinations thereof.
[0013] (5) The tobacco material according to any one of (1) to (4),
where a water content in the aqueous dispersion medium exceeds 50%
by weight.
[0014] (6) The tobacco material according to any one of (1) to (5),
where a content of the tobacco particles is 1 to 40% by weight.
[0015] (7) The tobacco material according to any one of (1) to (6),
where the tobacco particles are particles derived from a tobacco
raw material, a fermented tobacco raw material, or a heat-treated
tobacco raw material.
[0016] (8) The tobacco material according to (7), where a variety
of the tobacco raw material is flue-cured, burley, domestic, or
oriental.
[0017] (9) A production method for the tobacco material according
to any one of (1) to (8) comprising: preparing a dispersion
containing an aqueous dispersion medium and tobacco particles that
are dispersed in the dispersion medium and have an average particle
size of 30 .mu.m or less; and heating the dispersion to 160.degree.
C. or higher.
[0018] (10) The production method according to (9), where the
heating is performed under pressure.
[0019] (11) A tobacco product comprising the tobacco material
according to any one of (1) to (8) above.
[0020] (12) The tobacco product according to (11), further
comprising a base material, where 0.01 to 5% by weight of the
tobacco particles are contained relative to the base material.
[0021] (13) A production method for the tobacco product according
to (12) comprising adding the tobacco material according to any one
of (1) to (8) above to the base material.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0022] According to the present invention, it is possible to
provide a low-viscosity tobacco material in which tobacco particles
are dispersed in an aqueous dispersion medium.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1A shows the viscosity of tobacco materials.
[0024] FIG. 1B shows the viscosity of tobacco materials.
[0025] FIG. 1C shows the viscosity of tobacco materials.
[0026] FIG. 2 shows the results of a storage test.
[0027] FIG. 3 shows the pH of tobacco materials.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in
detail. In the present invention, the wording "X to Y" includes the
lower and the upper limits of X and Y.
[0029] 1. Tobacco Material
[0030] A tobacco material of the present invention comprises an
aqueous dispersion medium and tobacco particles that are dispersed
in the dispersion medium and have an average particle size of 30
.mu.m or less.
[0031] (1) Tobacco Particles
[0032] Tobacco particles may be derived from a tobacco raw
material, a fermented tobacco raw material, or a heat-treated
tobacco raw material. The tobacco raw material herein means whole
tobacco or parts of tobacco. As such parts, leaves, veins, stems,
roots, flowers, and mixtures thereof may be used. The variety of
tobacco is not particularly limited, and examples include
flue-cured, barley, domestic, and oriental. A tobacco raw material
to be used may be in the state of fresh leaves immediately after
the harvest without being subjected to drying or the like, leaves
that have been subjected to drying treatment after the harvest, or
combinations thereof. In addition, tobacco stems and veins,
expanded tobacco, and sheet tobacco obtained by processing these
tobacco raw materials may also be used. These materials may be used
alone or in combination of a plurality of varieties or parts.
[0033] Tobacco particles can be prepared by any suitable method but
is preferably prepared by subjecting a tobacco raw material to
common drying treatment, then coarse grinding with a common coarse
grinder, followed by fine grinding. The drying treatment and coarse
grinding may be performed in any publicly known manner, and the
average particle size of coarsely ground tobacco particles
preferably falls within a range from several hundred micrometers to
several millimeters. A method for fine grinding is also not
limited, and either method of wet grinding and dry grinding may be
employed. The wet grinding can be performed by adding a liquid
dispersion medium to coarsely ground tobacco particles, mixing, and
processing the resulting mixture in a wet milling machine (MIC-2:
from Nara Machinery Co., Ltd., for example). The milling machine is
preferably set to the rotation number of typical 1,100 to 1,300 rpm
and milling time of about 5 to 100 minutes. Meanwhile, dry grinding
can be performed by processing coarsely ground tobacco particles in
a dry fine grinder, such as a jet mill.
[0034] The thus-obtained tobacco particles have an average particle
size of 30 .mu.m or less and preferably 20 .mu.m or less. By having
such average particle sizes, clogging of a nozzle is less likely to
occur during spraying of a dispersion; and tobacco particles are
readily and uniformly dispersed in the tobacco material.
Accordingly, smoking flavor can be evenly imparted to smoking
articles. The lower limit of the average particle size of tobacco
particles is 5 .mu.m or more in one embodiment and 8 .mu.m or more
in another embodiment. The average particle size of tobacco
particles is adjustable by grinding conditions. For example, the
average particle size can be increased by shortening the time for
fine grinding, reducing the viscosity of a dispersion medium, and
so forth.
[0035] The average particle size of the present invention can be
determined by a laser diffraction/scattering method. Specifically,
the average particle size of the present invention is measured by
using a laser diffraction particle size analyzer (SALD-2100 nano
particle size analyzer from Shimadzu Corporation) at a diffractive
index of 1.60 to 0.101.
[0036] (2) Aqueous Dispersion Media
[0037] An aqueous dispersion medium herein refers to a liquid
medium containing water. The aqueous dispersion medium may be water
alone or may contain a specific organic compound. The organic
compound is preferably water soluble, and such an aqueous organic
compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of
monohydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohols, sugar alcohols, sugars,
polyhydric alcohol esters, and combinations thereof. When the
organic compound is insoluble in water, the organic compound can be
dissolved in an aqueous dispersion medium by using in combination
with an amphiphilic organic compound, such as methanol.
[0038] Examples of the monohydric alcohols include monohydric
C.sub.1 to C.sub.6 aliphatic alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol,
1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol,
2,2-dimethylethanol, and cyclohexanol; monohydric alcohols having
an aromatic substituent, such as benzyl alcohol; other monohydric
alcohols having one or more halogen elements; and monohydric
alcohols having one or more ether linkages.
[0039] A polyhydric alcohol is a generic term for compounds having
two or more hydroxy groups in a molecule. Examples of the
polyhydric alcohols include, but are not limited to, glycerol and
propylene glycol.
[0040] Examples of the sugar alcohols include sorbitol, maltitol,
xylitol, erythritol, lactitol, sorbitan, xylose, arabinose,
mannose, and trehalose.
[0041] Examples of the sugars include lactose, table sugar,
coupling sugar, glucose, enzyme-converted syrup, acid-converted
syrup, maltose syrup, maltose, high-fructose corn syrup, fructose,
hydrogenated maltose, hydrogenated starch syrup, and honey.
[0042] Examples of the polyhydric alcohol esters include fatty acid
polyhydric alcohol esters, such as fatty acid triglycerides.
[0043] The aqueous dispersion medium can be used as a medium for
wet grinding of tobacco. In this case, a tobacco material of the
present invention can be prepared simultaneously with fine
grinding. On this occasion, a mixed solvent of water and glycerol
is preferably employed since the average particle size of tobacco
particles is readily adjusted to a desirable range. When tobacco
particles are obtained by dry fine grinding, a tobacco material of
the present invention can be prepared by mixing finely ground
tobacco particles with an aqueous medium.
[0044] A mixing ratio of water and the organic compound is not
limited, and any suitable mixing ratio may be employed particularly
when a mixed solvent of water and glycerol is used. However, in
view of handling properties, safety, and the like, a water content
in the aqueous dispersion medium is preferably more than 50% by
weight, more preferably 80% by weight or more, and further
preferably 90% by weight or more.
[0045] (3) Hemicellulose
[0046] Hemicellulose is a polysaccharide contained in plant cell
walls. A tobacco material of the present invention contains 0.8% by
weight or less of hemicellulose based on bone-dry tobacco
particles. Hemicellulose readily interacts with water, thereby
increasing the viscosity of the tobacco material. However, the
present invention exhibits a low viscosity due to a reduced amount
of hemicellulose and thus exerts an effect of facilitating spraying
onto a base material, such as tobacco shreds. In this view, the
amount of hemicellulose is preferably 0.5% by weight or less based
on bone-dry tobacco particles. The lower limit of the amount of
hemicellulose is not limited but is preferably 0% by weight or is
preferably 0.1% by weight or more.
[0047] The concentration of cellulose in a tobacco material of the
present invention is not limited but, in view of viscosity, is
preferably 12% by weight or less, more preferably 10.5% by weight
or less, further preferably 10% by weight or less, and particularly
preferably 9% by weight or less based on bone-dry tobacco
particles.
[0048] (4) Characteristics
[0049] In a tobacco material of the present invention, tobacco
particles with an average particle size of 30 .mu.m or less are
dispersed in an aqueous dispersion medium. The amount of tobacco
particles in the tobacco material is preferably 1 to 40% by weight
in a bone-dry state. When the amount of tobacco particles falls
within this range, a tobacco material of the present invention is a
slurry with an appropriate viscosity, is easily applied to a base
material by using a spraying apparatus, and makes uniform
application possible.
[0050] Moreover, a tobacco material of the present invention has a
pH of preferably 4.8 or less and more preferably 4.6 or less. A
tobacco material obtained by the method of PTL 1 had a problem in
which microorganisms proliferate due to increased water activity.
Meanwhile, a tobacco material of the present invention with the
above-mentioned pH ranges is also characterized by suppressed
proliferation of microorganisms and capability of maintaining the
quality. The pH of a tobacco material can be determined by
measuring a hydrogen ion concentration in the tobacco material by
using a pH meter.
[0051] The viscosity of a tobacco material of the present invention
at 20.degree. C. and a tobacco particle concentration of 16.7% by
weight is preferably 10 to 500 cP and more preferably 10 to 200 cP.
The viscosity is measured with a B-type viscometer.
[0052] (5) Additives
[0053] A tobacco material of the present invention may contain
various additives. Examples of the additives include food
ingredients for designing flavor, such as spearmint leaves,
peppermint leaves, green tea and other tea leaves, coffee, cocoa,
cardamom, menthol, and sugar; polysaccharide thickeners for
enhancing dispersibility through viscosity adjustment, such as
glucans and pectin; food additives, such as various emulsifiers;
glues, such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC); and curing agents for
enhancing handling properties after addition to tobacco. The timing
of adding such additives is not limited, and additives may be added
before fine grinding of a tobacco raw material and finely ground
together or may be added to a tobacco material. The proportions of
additives may also be set suitably. However, when additives are
contained, the total amount of tobacco particles and a dispersion
medium in a tobacco material of the present invention is preferably
90% by weight or more and more preferably 95% by weight or more
based on the total amount of the tobacco material.
[0054] 2. Production Method for Tobacco Material of the Present
Invention
[0055] A tobacco material of the present invention is preferably
produced by a method comprising: preparing a dispersion containing
an aqueous dispersion medium and tobacco particles that are
dispersed in the dispersion medium and have an average particle
size of 30 .mu.m or less, as in the foregoing; and heating the
dispersion to 160.degree. C. or higher. By heating the dispersion
to 160.degree. C. or higher, it is possible to decompose
substances, such as hemicellulose, that cause thickening through
interactions with water and to reduce the amounts thereof. In this
view, the heating temperature is preferably higher than 150.degree.
C. and more preferably 160.degree. C. or higher. Meanwhile, an
excessively high temperature causes degradation of active
components. Accordingly, the upper limit of the heating temperature
is preferably 200.degree. C. or lower, more preferably 190.degree.
C. or lower, and further preferably 180.degree. C. or lower.
Heating is preferably performed under pressure by using an
apparatus, such as a pressure cooker. The pressure is preferably
1.8 MPa or higher. A tobacco material of the present invention
produced under these conditions also exerts an effect of remarkably
suppressing proliferation of microorganisms.
[0056] 3. Tobacco Products
[0057] A tobacco product can be obtained by adding a tobacco
material of the present invention to a base material. A base
material herein refers to a tobacco body or auxiliary members of
smokable tobacco. Examples of the tobacco body include tobacco
immediately after the harvest, dried tobacco, flavor-added tobacco,
tobacco shreds, and cigarettes. Examples of the auxiliary members
include cigarette paper, filters, and tipping paper. Examples of
the method of adding a tobacco material to a base material include,
but are not particularly limited to, dropwise addition, spraying,
coating, and impregnation.
[0058] When a tobacco material of the present invention is added to
a cigarette, the tobacco material may be added to cigarette
components, such as tobacco shreds, cigarette paper, filter, and
tipping paper. The tobacco material may be added to one segment or
two or more segments, such as both tobacco shreds and tipping
paper. Moreover, by adding tobacco materials obtained from
different types of tobacco to different locations on cigarette
paper, it is also possible to provide different smoking flavors
during smoking of a tobacco product, such as a cigarette. When a
tobacco material is added to a filter of a cigarette, the filter
may also be impregnated with the tobacco material.
[0059] When a tobacco material of the present invention is added to
tobacco shreds, the amount of tobacco particles contained in the
tobacco material is preferably set to 0.01 to 5% by weight based on
the weight of the tobacco shreds in view of efficiency in imparting
smoking flavor. When tobacco with strong flavor is used for a
tobacco material, the above-mentioned proportion may be reduced to
0.01 to 0.1% by weight, for example.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
[0060] Tobacco particles with an average particle size of 30 .mu.m
were prepared as in the following by using a leaf tobacco raw
material (Brazilian flue-cured raw material).
[0061] The leaf tobacco raw material was coarsely ground to 10 mm
or less by using a cutter mill from Tokyo Atomizer M. F. G. Co.,
Ltd. Subsequently, the coarsely ground leaf tobacco raw material
was coarsely ground further to an average particle size of 100
.mu.m or less by using a CONDUX impact mill from NETZSCH Group and
then finely ground by using a CSM impact classifier mill from
NETZSCH Group to yield tobacco particles with an average particle
size of 30 .mu.m or less.
[0062] The resulting tobacco particles were mixed with sterile
water to obtain a slurry in which the tobacco particles were
suspended in water. The content of the tobacco particles (bone dry)
in the slurry was 16.7% by weight. The slurry was sealed in four
reaction vessels and subjected to high-temperature high-pressure
treatment under the following respective conditions to produce
tobacco materials of the present invention. The suspended state of
the tobacco particles did not change even after the
high-temperature high-pressure treatment.
[0063] A: 160.degree. C.-10 min
[0064] B: 180.degree. C.-10 min
[0065] C: 180.degree. C.-30 min
[0066] D: 180.degree. C.-60 min
[0067] The viscosity of each slurry after the treatment was
measured at 20.degree. C. by using a B-type viscometer (rotor No.
1, rotation number of 0.3 to 100 rpm).
[0068] Further, cellulose and hemicellulose contents were measured
for the tobacco materials (slurries) of the present invention as in
the following.
[0069] 1) A slurry was washed with water and subjected to
centrifugation (8,000 rpm, 10 min) to collect a settled residue.
This procedure was repeated twice.
[0070] 2) The collected residue was rinsed with ethanol and
subjected to centrifugation (8,000 rpm, 10 min) to collect a
settled residue. This procedure was repeated twice.
[0071] 3) The resulting residue was dried in a constant-temperature
apparatus (100.degree. C.-2 hrs).
[0072] 4) The dried residue was weighed, and quantification of
cellulose and hemicellulose by the Van Soest method was outsourced
to Japan Food Research Laboratories to obtain cellulose and
hemicellulose contents based on the weight of bone-dry tobacco
particles.
Example 2
[0073] A tobacco material of the present invention was produced and
evaluated in the same manner as Example 1 except for changing the
content of tobacco particles (bone dry) to 14.3% by weight and
performing only high-temperature high-pressure treatment D
above.
Example 3
[0074] A tobacco material of the present invention was produced and
evaluated in the same manner as Example 1 except for changing the
content of tobacco particles (bone dry) to 20.0% by weight and
performing only high-temperature high-pressure treatment D
above.
Comparative Example 1
[0075] A tobacco material for comparison was produced and evaluated
in the same manner as Example 1 except for changing the
high-temperature high-pressure treatment to the following.
[0076] X: None
[0077] Y: 150.degree. C.--5 min
[0078] Z: 150.degree. C.--15 min
Comparative Examples 2 and 3
[0079] Tobacco materials for comparison were produced and evaluated
in the same manner as Examples 2 and 3, respectively, except for
omitting the high-temperature high-pressure treatment.
[0080] These results are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as well as Tables 1
and 2.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 The amount of hemicellulose for Examples and
Comparative Examples (weight %) Comp. Comp. Comp. Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3
Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 A 160.degree. C.-10 min 0.0 -- -- -- -- -- B
180.degree. C.-10 min 0.0 -- -- -- -- -- C 180.degree. C.-30 min
0.0 -- -- -- -- -- D 180.degree. C.-60 min 0.0 0.0 0.0 -- -- -- Y
150.degree. C.-5 min -- -- -- 1.4 -- -- Z 150.degree. C.-15 min --
-- -- 0.9 -- -- X None -- -- -- 2.7 2.7 2.7
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 The amount of cellulose for Examples and
Comparative Examples (weight %) Comp. Comp. Comp. Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3
Ex. 1 Ex. 2 Ex. 3 A 160.degree. C.-10 min 11.7 -- -- -- -- -- B
180.degree. C.-10 min 8.8 -- -- -- -- -- C 180.degree. C.-30 min
8.6 -- -- -- -- -- D 180.degree. C.-60 min 7.5 7.5 8.8 -- -- -- Y
150.degree. C.-5 min -- -- -- 13.5 -- -- Z 150.degree. C.-15 min --
-- -- 10.8 -- -- X None -- -- -- 12.2 12.2 12.2
[0081] As shown in FIG. 1, tobacco materials for comparison treated
under conditions Y and Z (hereinafter, referred to as "Comparative
Example 1Y" and the like) in Comparative Example 1 tend to have an
increased viscosity. This is presumably because a large amount of
polysaccharides were extracted into an aqueous medium but were not
decomposed by high-temperature high-pressure treatment under such
conditions, thereby increasing interactions with water. Meanwhile,
the tobacco materials of the present invention, such as Example 1A,
are considered to achieve a lower viscosity through extraction of a
large amount of polysaccharides and the like including
hemicellulose into an aqueous medium, followed by decomposition. As
described above, it is clear that the tobacco materials of the
present invention with a certain content or less of hemicellulose
exhibit a low viscosity.
Example 4
[0082] A hydrogen ion concentration in a slurry was measured by
using a pH meter from Mettler Toledo for the tobacco materials of
the present invention treated under high-temperature high-pressure
conditions A and C in Example 1 [the content of tobacco particles
(bone dry): 16.7% by weight]. These tobacco materials were poured
into 50 mL vials and subjected to a storage test. The storage test
was performed by placing the vials in a constant-temperature room
at 35.degree. C. A total viable count was measured for samples
obtained immediately after the start of the storage test, after 72
hours, and after 120 hours. The total viable count was measured in
accordance with the method posted on the home page of Japan Food
Research Laboratories as in the following.
[0083] 1) A sample was diluted with sterile water to prepare serial
tenfold diluted samples.
[0084] 2) Each of the samples diluted to the respective
concentrations were inoculated on a standard agar medium and
cultured at 35.degree. C. for two days. After the culture, the
number of colonies was counted.
[0085] 3) The initial viable count of the samples was calculated on
the basis of differences in the number of colonies appeared for the
respective dilutions.
Comparative Example 4
[0086] The tobacco material for comparison that did not undergo
high-temperature high-pressure treatment of Comparative Example 1
was subjected to a storage test in the same manner as Example
4.
[0087] These results are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As is clear from
FIG. 2, the count increases 100 to 1,000-fold during the storage in
the tobacco material of Comparative Example 4 that was not
subjected to high-temperature high-pressure treatment, whereas
microorganisms did not proliferate even after the storage for 120
hours in the tobacco materials of the present invention. FIG. 3
reveals that slurries have been changed to the environment that
suppresses proliferation of microorganisms by the high-temperature
high-pressure treatment.
* * * * *