Method of extracting sucrose esters from oriental tobacco

Abstract

The invention provides a method of extracting sucrose esters from Oriental tobacco, the method comprising: providing a Oriental tobacco material; contacting the solid Oriental tobacco material with a supercritical fluid, such as supercritical carbon dioxide, for a time and under conditions sufficient to extract sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco into the supercritical fluid; and separating the supercritical fluid comprising extracted sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco. The resulting extract can comprise more than 90% by weight of tetra-acyl sucrose esters, and can be used as a flavor additive for tobacco materials used in smoking articles.

1 . A method of extracting sucrose esters from Oriental tobacco, the method comprising: 
 providing a Oriental tobacco material;    contacting the Oriental tobacco material with a supercritical fluid for a time and under conditions sufficient to extract sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco into the supercriticar fluid; and    separating the supercritical fluid comprising extracted sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the Oriental tobacco material is in a form selected from the group consisting of whole leaf, laminae, cut filler, volume expanded, stems, cut-rolled stems, cut-puffed stems, reconstituted tobacco, and particulate.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the Oriental tobacco material is in cut filler or particulate form.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the Oriental tobacco is unblended with other tobacco materials.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the supercritical fluid has a critical temperature of between about 30 to about 100° C.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the supercritical fluid is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, sulfur hexafluoride, nitrous oxide, and halogenated hydrocarbons including 1 to 4 carbon atoms.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said contacting step occurs at a temperature of about 30 to about 150° C. and a pressure of about 200 to about 1,000 atm.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein said contacting step occurs at a temperature of about 50 to about 120° C. and a pressure of about 300 to about 800 atm.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said contacting step occurs at a temperature of about 70 to about 110° C. and a pressure of about 400 to about 600 atm.  
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the contacting step is conducted for a period of time from about 30 minutes to about 240 minutes.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising evaporating the supercritical fluid in order to isolate an Oriental tobacco extract, wherein the isolated Oriental tobacco extract comprises at least about 90% by weight of sucrose esters, based on the total weight of the isolated extract.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the isolated Oriental tobacco extract comprises at least about 95% by weight of sucrose esters, based on the total weight of the isolated extract.  
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising purifying the isolated extract by solvent extraction.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising re-dissolving the isolated extract in a solvent and applying the isolated extract to a tobacco material in the form of a casing or top dressing.  
     
     
         15 . A smoking article comprising sucrose esters extracted according to the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         16 . A method of extracting sucrose esters from Oriental tobacco, the method comprising: 
 providing a Oriental tobacco material in cut filler or particulate form;    contacting the Oriental tobacco material with supercritical carbon dioxide for a time and under conditions sufficient to extract sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco into the supercritical carbon dioxide, wherein the pressure during said contacting step is at least about 300 atm and the temperature is at least about 60° C.; and    separating the supercritical carbon dioxide comprising extracted sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising evaporating the supercritical carbon dioxide in order to isolate an Oriental tobacco extract, wherein the isolated Oriental tobacco extract is at least about 90% by weight of tetra-acyl sucrose esters, based on the total weight of the isolated extract.  
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the isolated Oriental tobacco extract is at least about 95% by weight of tetra-acyl sucrose esters, based on the total weight of the isolated extract.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising purifying the isolated extract by solvent extraction.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising re-dissolving the isolated extract in a solvent and applying the isolated extract to a tobacco material in the form of a casing or top dressing.  
     
     
         21 . A smoking article comprising sucrose esters extracted according to the method of  claim 16 .  
     
     
         22 . A method of extracting sucrose esters from Oriental tobacco, the method comprising: 
 providing a Oriental tobacco material in cut filler or particulate form;    contacting the Oriental tobacco material with supercritical carbon dioxide for a time and under conditions sufficient to extract sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco into the supercritical carbon dioxide, wherein the pressure during said contacting step is at least about 400 atm and the temperature is at least about 80° C.;    separating the supercritical carbon dioxide comprising extracted sucrose esters from the Oriental tobacco;    evaporating the supercritical carbon dioxide in order to isolate an Oriental tobacco extract comprising sucrose esters, the Oriental tobacco extract comprising at least about 90% by weight of tetra-acyl sucrose esters, based on the total weight of the isolated extract; and    applying the extracted sucrose esters to a tobacco material as a flavor additive.    
     
     
         23 . A smoking article comprising sucrose esters extracted according to the method of  claim 22.