Preparation of powdered tobacco extract and its application in gum-based chewing tobacco

In order to obtain a powdered tobacco extract with broad applicability in gum-based chewing tobacco, the parameters of spray-drying process were optimized. The volatile aroma components in the extract of a Zimbabwe tobacco were analysed by headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS) combined with principal component analysis (PCA). A method for homogenization evaluation of different batches of dry tobacco extract powder was also established. The results showed that:1) The optimal preparation parameters were feeding flow 500 mL/h and inlet air temperature 200℃, the yield of dry powder from the tobacco extract(with a moisture content of 6.02%)reached 44.55% under the condition. 2) After extracting for 30 min at 80℃ with a Blue fiber extraction head, 36 volatile components were detected in the dry powder. Among them, the nicotine content(mass fraction)was the highest (52.14%), and the contents of solanone, cymbriatrienediol and megastigmatrienone were 14.22%, 3.91% and 3.89%, respectively. 3) At an addition level of 3%, the dry powder prepared from the tobacco extract significantly improved tobacco-like aroma of a gum-based chewing tobacco with a moderate strength. This method is suitable for evaluating the quality consistency of powdered tobacco extract.