Comparison of Pyrolytic Products from Flue-Cured Tobacco Leaf and a Reconstituted Tobacco Sheet

Pyrolytic products of commercial tobacco sheet, flue-cured tobacco leaf, and stems were compared. The yields of acids, bases, neutrals, and phenolics were determined. The neutrals were further characterized by chromatography in order to examine pyrolysis fractions corresponding to biologically active cigarette smoke fractions. Individual phenols, carboxylic acids, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and nicotine were determined for sheet and leaf pyrolyzate. Analyses of constituents of various pyrolyzate fractions indicated significantly lower amounts of phenols, PAH, and nicotine in sheet and stem pyrolyzates than in leaf pyrolyzate