title: Chemical, physical, and in vitro characterization of research cigarettes containing denicotinized tobacco.
abstract: The use of very low nicotine tobacco cigarettes is currently being investigated as a possible harm reduction strategy. Here, we report the smoke chemistry, toxicity, and physical characteristics of very low nicotine cigarettes that were made using blended tobacco processed through a supercritical CO2 fluid extraction, which resulted in elimination of 96% of nicotine content (denicotinized (denic) tobacco). Three types of test cigarettes (TCs) were manufactured with tobacco filler containing 100% denic tobacco (TC100), 50% denic tobacco and 50% unextracted tobacco (TC50/50), and 100% unextracted tobacco (TC0). Mainstream smoke (MS) was generated for measurement of 46 analytes and cytotoxicity and mutagenicity determination. Analysis of physical characteristics of TCs demonstrated they were well made with <5% variability among cigarettes for most parameters measured. We observed significant changes in the levels of smoke constituents, including decreases in formaldehyde, nitrosamines, and phenol, and increases in aliphatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic nitrogen compounds, aromatic amines, halogen compounds, and metals. Use of denic tobacco resulted in changes in the chemical composition of MS, but these changes did not modify biological activity as measured in the mutagenicity and cytotoxicity assays.
authors.affiliation: Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: bonnie.g.coffa@altria.com.
authors.forename: Bonnie G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Coffa
authors.affiliation: Carson Watts Consulting, King, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher R E
authors.initials: CRE
authors.lastname: Coggins
authors.affiliation: Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Werley
authors.affiliation: Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Oldham
authors.affiliation: Altria Client Services LLC, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Marc W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Fariss
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D025924:Chromatography, Supercritical Fluid; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009154:Mutation; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012486:Salmonella typhimurium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D012906:Smoke; D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Denic; Denicotinized tobacco; Reduced nicotine content cigarettes; Tobacco constituents; Very low nicotine tobacco