Abstract:
In order to clarify the utility of different types of tobacco leaves for heated tobacco products, 60 samples of tobacco leaves produced from 10 provinces in China were collected and made into tobacco reconstituted materials of the same blend. Based on principal component analysis, the subordinate function method was used to comprehensively evaluate the sensory quality of these tobacco leaves, and cluster analysis was also performed. The results showed that: 1) Flue-cured tobacco had the best aroma quality, yellow sun-cured tobacco had the highest aroma quantity, burley tobacco and red sun-cured tobacco had the strongest strength, cigar tobacco had the best stability, and oriental tobacco had the highest scores of offensive odors, irritation, dry sensation, bitter scent, residual and comprehensive evaluation. 2) Nine samples of tobacco leaves with the best comprehensive evaluation results by subordinate function were Yunnan aroma-enhanced K326 middle leaves, Yunnan fire-cured K326 middle leaves, Yunnan starch/protein-reduced K326 middle leaves, Yunnan intensively cured K326 middle leaves, Yunnan threshed and redried Yunyan87 middle leaves, Sichuan fried rice-cured Cigar DX No.3 upper leaves, Guangdong Dayeqinggeng middle leaves, Yunnan Hongda (high chlorine) middle leaves, Guangdong Dayeqinggeng upper leaves. 3) The 60 samples of tobacco leaves could be divided into three groups by cluster analysis. Group Ⅲ included 26 samples of tobacco leaves, whose sensory quality index scores (except for strength score) and total comprehensive evaluation scores were higher than the other leaves, which were significantly different from those of groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ.