Tobacco-derived cellulosic sugar

Abstract

Methods of forming cellulosic sugars from the stalk or roots of a plant of the Nicotiana species are provided herein, the methods including i) receiving a tobacco material including at least one of a stalk material and a root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species; ii) delignifying the tobacco material to form a tobacco-derived pulp; and iii) hydrolyzing the tobacco-derived pulp to form a hydrolyzed tobacco product including residual solids and a liquid including at least one tobacco-derived cellulosic sugar. A cellulosic sugar derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material including at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species is also provided herein. Tobacco products incorporating the cellulosic sugars derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material or products derived from the cellulosic sugar are also provided.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A cellulosic sugar derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material comprising at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the  Nicotiana  species. 
     
     
         21 . The cellulosic sugar of  claim 20 , wherein the tobacco material comprises at least about 90 percent by dry weight of at least one of the stalk material and the root material of the harvested plant of the  Nicotiana  species. 
     
     
         22 . A tobacco product incorporating the cellulosic sugar of  claim 20  or a downstream product of the cellulosic sugar selected from the group consisting of high fructose tobacco syrup, glycerol, levulinic acid, lactic acid, and combinations thereof.