The Transfer of Nicotine from Nicotine Salts to Mainstream Smoke

Abstract Transfer of nicotine to mainstream smoke was measured for Reference cigarettes made with the addition of 20 -40 mg of seven different nicotine salts, d- and l-nicotine and N’-formylnornicotine. Regression analysis of the nicotine yields from these cigarettes as a function of the nicotine content of the tobacco rods indicated an average nicotine transfer efficiency (17.5%), similar to that found for a separate series of cigarettes made with single-grade tobacco materials (16.2%). Analysis of the enantiomeric purity of the smoke nicotine from the cigarettes made with added nicotine salts and neat nicotine showed no evidence of conversion between l- and d-nicotine during the smoking process. The cigarette made with added N’-formylnornicotine showed no evidence of additional nicotine transfer attributable to reduction of this compound to nicotine. A third series of cigarettes were made with varying levels of d- and l-nicotine added to a tobacco blend and to reconstituted tobacco to further investigate transfer efficiency of the enantiomers. Regression analysis indicated no statistically significant difference between transfer efficiencies of d- and l-nicotine. These results suggest that nicotine salts and d- and l-nicotine transfer to smoke at the same efficiency. However, transfer efficiency of either compound was lower when applied to reconstituted tobacco (9.7%) than when applied to the Reference tobacco blend (15.3%). The thermal stabilities of nicotine salts have little bearing on efficiency of transfer to smoke or on racemization between d- and l-nicotine. Formation of d-nicotine in mainstream smoke via reduction of N’-formylnornicotine does not appear to occur.