Relationship between Composition of Tobacco Essential Oil and Its Aroma

Abstract

The aroma of tobacco essential oil is similar to that of the tobacco leaf and has an effect on the tobacco smoke. The main components of essential oil from flue-cured, Turkish and Burley tobaccos were identified and quantitatively determined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The aromas of mixtures of the main compounds were evaluated by sensory tests. The aroma of essential oil from flue-cured tobacco seemed to be formed mainly by a comabination of linolenic acid, linoleic acid, solanone, megastigmatrienone and furfuryl alcohol, while that from Turkish tobacco appeared to be formed by β-methylvaleric acid, linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Compounds contributing to the aroma of essential oil from Burley tobacco could not be determined. © 1980, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry. All rights reserved.