A heated cigarette core material, its preparation method and application
By preparing heated cigarette core material through enzymatic hydrolysis and baking, the problems of poor air circulation and low smoke concentration are solved, providing a better smoking experience and a richer sensory effect.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANTONG CIGARETTE FILTER
- Filing Date
- 2024-04-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-17
AI Technical Summary
The current form of heated cigarette core material results in poor air circulation, low smoke concentration, and unsatisfactory sensory effects, especially for filamentous and granular core materials.
Heated cigarette core material is prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis, baking, and peeling after mixing tobacco powder and slurry. The core material is prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis using a combination of β-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, and laccase to form a specific fragment structure, which increases the air passage gap, enriches the aroma of the smoke, and reduces the content of impurities.
It achieves a better smoking experience, increases smoke concentration, and provides excellent sensory effects. It can be directly rolled into core material without the need for shredding, thus reducing the content of impurities.
Smart Images
Figure CN118160962B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of heated cigarette manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a heated cigarette core material, its preparation method and application, and particularly to a heated cigarette core material with good sensory effects, its preparation method and application. Background Technology
[0002] Heated cigarettes are a new type of tobacco product that is heated but not burned, a mode that differs from both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Traditional cigarettes require burning tobacco for inhalation, while e-cigarettes atomize a nicotine-containing liquid to form an aerosol for inhalation. Comparatively, heated tobacco releases less harmful components than traditional cigarettes and provides consumers with the characteristic tobacco sensation. For heated cigarettes, the composition and form of the filling material play a decisive role in the sensory experience. Currently, common filling material forms include filamentous and granular materials, but these structural forms either have small gaps leading to poor airflow, or excessively large gaps and insufficient smoke-generating agent components, resulting in smoke concentration issues.
[0003] CN115226927A discloses a core material for heated cigarettes, a method for preparing the core material, and heated cigarettes, relating to the field of heated cigarette technology. The core material is prepared by mixing bamboo fiber obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis and shredding of bamboo with a smoke-generating agent and a flavoring agent. The smoke-generating agent is one or more of glycerin, modified glycerin, and novel smoke-generating agents. The flavoring agent is one or more of tobacco extracts, natural plant extracts, and synthetic fragrances. Using bamboo fiber prepared by this method as a carrier can reduce the woody off-flavors introduced by the core material under heating conditions. Furthermore, the bamboo fiber structure obtained through biological and mechanical coupling treatment is fluffy, possessing better adsorption and loading capacity, and can load more smoke-generating agents and flavoring agents, effectively improving the sensory quality of the smoke. However, it uses a filamentous core material, which has problems such as small gaps, poor air circulation, and low smoke concentration.
[0004] CN116268522A discloses a menthol-scented heated cigarette filler material and its preparation method. This invention provides a menthol-scented heated cigarette filler material that improves the integration and harmony of the menthol and tobacco aromas by adding amino-modified plant-based excipients as an intermediate medium to the menthol raw material, thereby enhancing the aroma-locking effect of the heated cigarette filler material. However, it does not investigate the impact of the filler material morphology on sensory experience, nor does it provide corresponding solutions.
[0005] Therefore, how to provide a heated cigarette core material that can avoid the problem of low smoke concentration that occurs with filamentous core materials and granular core materials, while also having excellent sensory effects, has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention
[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide a heated cigarette core material, its preparation method, and its application, particularly a heated cigarette core material with superior sensory effects, its preparation method, and its application. The heated cigarette core material provided by this invention enriches cigarette smoke, enhances the aroma of heated cigarettes, and reduces the content of impurities. Compared to continuous filamentous or granular core materials, it offers a better smoking experience and can be directly rolled into core material without the need for shredding.
[0007] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing heated cigarette core material, the method comprising the following steps:
[0009] The tobacco powder is mixed with the slurry, then mixed with enzymes for enzymatic hydrolysis, and then baked and peeled to obtain the heated cigarette fragment core material.
[0010] The above method, by first enzymatically hydrolyzing the mixture of tobacco powder and slurry, followed by baking and peeling, can obtain heated cigarette core material with a specific fragment structure. The gaps between the fragments allow air to pass through easily, increasing the smoke concentration. This method can enrich the cigarette smoke, enhance the aroma of heated cigarettes, and reduce the content of impurities. Compared with continuous filamentous or granular core materials, it provides a better smoking experience. It does not require shredding and can be directly rolled into core material.
[0011] Preferably, the mass ratio of the tobacco powder to the slurry is 1:(5-10).
[0012] Preferably, the tobacco powder is obtained by pulverizing tobacco leaves, which includes flue-cured tobacco leaves and cigar tobacco leaves.
[0013] The technical solution of this invention incorporates a high proportion of cigar tobacco leaves. Since cigars have a low sugar content, adding cigar tobacco leaves can reduce the viscosity of the slurry and decrease its adhesiveness. At the same time, it enriches the aroma of cigars and enhances the fragrance.
[0014] Preferably, the mass ratio of flue-cured tobacco leaves to cigar tobacco leaves is (7-8):(2-3), wherein the number of flue-cured tobacco leaves can be 7, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6, 7.8 or 8, etc., and the number of cigar tobacco leaves can be 2, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.8 or 3, etc., but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0015] Preferably, the slurry comprises, by weight, 1-2 parts wood pulp fiber, 1-5 parts sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 5-10 parts glycerol and 70-90 parts water.
[0016] The proportions of wood pulp fiber can be 1 part, 1.1 parts, 1.2 parts, 0.3 parts, 1.4 parts, 1.5 parts, 1.6 parts, 1.7 parts, 1.8 parts, 1.9 parts, or 2 parts, etc.; the proportions of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose can be 1 part, 2 parts, 3 parts, 4 parts, or 5 parts, etc.; the proportions of glycerol can be 5 parts, 6 parts, 7 parts, 8 parts, 9 parts, or 10 parts, etc.; and the proportions of water can be 70 parts, 75 parts, 80 parts, 85 parts, or 90 parts, etc., but are not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0017] Preferably, the sodium carboxymethyl cellulose has a particle size of 20-60 mesh, a viscosity of 400-600 mPa·s, and a degree of substitution > 0.7 DS.
[0018] Preferably, the enzyme comprises any one or a combination of at least two of β-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, or laccase, and more preferably a combination of β-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, and laccase.
[0019] The aforementioned specific enzyme preparations can reduce the content of fiber, starch, and pectin, thereby reducing the intermolecular forces and causing the core material to exhibit a specific fragmented structure. At the same time, the combination of seven enzymes—β-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, and laccase—works synergistically to effectively promote the formation of fragments, improve the sensory quality of the suction, and reduce the content of impurities.
[0020] Preferably, the amount of β-1,4-glucanase added is 0.01-0.1% based on the weight of tobacco powder, such as 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03%, 0.04%, 0.05%, 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, 0.09%, or 0.1%, but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0021] Preferably, the amount of α-amylase added is 0.05-0.15% based on the weight of tobacco powder, such as 0.05%, 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.08%, 0.09%, 0.1%, 0.11%, 0.12%, 0.13%, 0.14%, or 0.15%, but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0022] Preferably, the amount of pectin lyase added is 0.001-0.01% based on the mass of tobacco powder, such as 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.003%, 0.004%, 0.005%, 0.006%, 0.007%, 0.008%, 0.009%, or 0.01%, but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0023] Preferably, the amount of phytase added is 0.1-1% based on the weight of tobacco powder, such as 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8%, 0.9%, or 1%, but not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0024] Preferably, the amount of aspartic protease added is 0.001-0.01% based on the weight of tobacco powder, such as 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.003%, 0.004%, 0.005%, 0.006%, 0.007%, 0.008%, 0.009%, or 0.01%, etc., but not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0025] Preferably, the amount of serine protease added is 0.001-0.01% based on the weight of tobacco powder, such as 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.003%, 0.004%, 0.005%, 0.006%, 0.007%, 0.008%, 0.009%, or 0.01%, but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0026] Preferably, the amount of laccase added is 0.001-0.01% based on the mass of tobacco powder, such as 0.001%, 0.002%, 0.003%, 0.004%, 0.005%, 0.006%, 0.007%, 0.008%, 0.009%, or 0.01%, but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0027] Preferably, the enzymatic hydrolysis is performed at a temperature of 40-50°C for 2-3 hours.
[0028] Preferably, the baking temperature is 80-100℃, and the baking is carried out until the water content of the enzymatically hydrolyzed mixture is 4-7% RH. The temperature can be 80℃, 85℃, 90℃, 95℃ or 100℃, etc., and the water content can be 4% RH, 5% RH, 6% RH or 7% RH, etc., but is not limited to the values listed above. Other unlisted values within the above range are also applicable.
[0029] Preferably, after obtaining the heated cigarette fragment core material, the process further includes rolling the heated cigarette fragment core material into a core rod.
[0030] Secondly, the present invention provides heated cigarette fragment core material prepared by the preparation method described above.
[0031] Thirdly, the present invention also provides the application of the heated cigarette fragment core material as described above in the preparation of heated cigarettes.
[0032] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0033] This invention provides a method for preparing heated cigarette core material. By first enzymatically hydrolyzing a mixture of tobacco powder and slurry, followed by baking and peeling, heated cigarette core material with a specific fragment structure can be obtained. There are gaps between the fragments, which facilitates air passage and increases the smoke concentration. This method can enrich the cigarette smoke, enhance the aroma of heated cigarettes, and reduce the content of impurities. Compared with continuous filamentous or granular core materials, it can provide a better smoking experience. It does not require shredding and can be directly rolled into core material. Attached Figure Description
[0034] Figure 1 This is an appearance diagram of the heated cigarette fragment core material provided in Example 1;
[0035] Figure 2 This is an image of the appearance of commercially available filamentous core material for heated cigarettes;
[0036] Figure 3 This is an image of the appearance of commercially available granular core material for heated cigarettes.
[0037] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the appearance of the heated cigarette core material provided in Comparative Example 1. Detailed Implementation
[0038] The technical solution of the present invention will be further illustrated below through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments described are merely illustrative of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention in any way.
[0039] In the following examples, β-1,4-glucanase was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
[0040] α-Amylase was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.;
[0041] Pectin lyase was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
[0042] Phytase was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
[0043] Aspartic protease was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
[0044] The serine protease was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
[0045] Laccase was purchased from Guangdong Yiduoli Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
[0046] Example 1
[0047] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material, the preparation method of which is as follows:
[0048] Flue-cured tobacco leaves and cigar tobacco leaves were blended in a 7:3 mass ratio, pulverized, and passed through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder. This powder was then mixed with a slurry (containing 1.5 parts wood pulp fiber, 3 parts sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 7 parts glycerol, and 80 parts water by mass fraction) at a 1:7 mass ratio. Next, based on the mass of the tobacco powder, 0.05% β-1,4-glucanase, 0.1% α-amylase, 0.005% pectin lyase, 0.5% phytase, 0.005% aspartic protease, 0.005% serine protease, and 0.005% laccase were added, and the mixture was enzymatically hydrolyzed at 45°C for 2.5 hours. The slurry was then placed in a casting machine with a thickness of 0.8 mm, baked at 90°C until the moisture content reached 5% RH, and then peeled off using a peeling knife to form heated cigarette core fragments. These fragments were then rolled into core rods using a rolling machine.
[0049] Example 2
[0050] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material, the preparation method of which is as follows:
[0051] Flue-cured tobacco leaves and cigar tobacco leaves were blended in a ratio of 8:2 by mass, pulverized, and passed through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder. This powder was then mixed with a slurry (containing 1 part wood pulp fiber, 5 parts sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 5 parts glycerol, and 90 parts water by mass) at a ratio of 1:5. Then, based on the weight of the tobacco powder, 0.01% β-1,4-glucanase, 0.15% α-amylase, 0.001% pectin lyase, 1% phytase, 0.001% aspartic protease, 0.01% serine protease, and 0.001% laccase were added, and the mixture was enzymatically hydrolyzed at 40°C for 3 hours. The slurry was then placed in a casting machine with a thickness of 0.6 mm, baked at 80°C until the moisture content reached 7% RH, and then peeled off using a peeling knife to form heated cigarette core fragments. These fragments were then rolled into core rods using a rolling machine.
[0052] Example 3
[0053] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material, the preparation method of which is as follows:
[0054] Flue-cured tobacco leaves and cigar tobacco leaves were blended in a ratio of 7.5:2.5 by mass, pulverized, and passed through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder. This powder was then mixed with a slurry (comprising 2 parts wood pulp fiber, 1 part sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 10 parts glycerol, and 90 parts water by mass) at a ratio of 1:10. Based on the weight of the tobacco powder, 0.1% β-1,4-glucanase, 0.05% α-amylase, 0.01% pectin lyase, 0.1% phytase, 0.01% aspartic protease, 0.001% serine protease, and 0.01% laccase were added, and the mixture was enzymatically hydrolyzed at 50°C for 2 hours. The slurry was then placed in a casting machine with a thickness of 0.7 mm, baked at 100°C until the moisture content reached 4% RH, and then peeled off using a peeling knife to form heated cigarette core fragments. These fragments were then rolled into core rods using a rolling machine.
[0055] Example 4
[0056] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that β-1,4-glucanase is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease and laccase.
[0057] Example 5
[0058] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that α-amylase is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to β-1,4-glucanase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease and laccase.
[0059] Example 6
[0060] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that pectin lyase is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to α-amylase, β-1,4-glucanase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease and laccase.
[0061] Example 7
[0062] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that phytase is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to α-amylase, pectin lyase, β-1,4-glucanase, aspartic protease, serine protease and laccase.
[0063] Example 8
[0064] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that aspartic protease is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, β-1,4-glucanase, serine protease and laccase.
[0065] Example 9
[0066] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that serine protease is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, β-1,4-glucanase and laccase.
[0067] Example 10
[0068] This embodiment provides a heated cigarette fragment core material. The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that laccase is not added and a portion is allocated proportionally to α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, and β-1,4-glucanase.
[0069] Comparative Example 1
[0070] This comparative example provides a heated cigarette fragment core material, prepared by the following method:
[0071] Flue-cured tobacco leaves and cigar tobacco leaves are mixed in a ratio of 7:3 by mass, pulverized and passed through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder. Then, it is mixed with slurry (in terms of mass fraction, it includes 1.5 parts wood pulp fiber, 3 parts sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 7 parts glycerin and 80 parts water) at a mass ratio of 1:7. The slurry is then placed in a casting machine with a thickness of 0.8 mm and a baking temperature of 90°C. The moisture content is baked to 5% RH. The slurry is then peeled off by a peeling knife to form heated cigarette core material, which is then rolled into core rods by a rolling machine.
[0072] Effect test:
[0073] The heated cigarette core materials provided in Examples 1-10 and Comparative Example 1 were used to make heated cigarettes. These cigarettes were then evaluated and scored by multiple professionals. The smoke concentration was compared with that of commercially available heated cigarettes with fibrous core materials and commercially available heated cigarettes with granular core materials, using the following testing methods:
[0074] Test method: Sensory evaluation of the samples was conducted using a scoring method. The evaluation panel consisted of 10 members, who scored the samples from five aspects: aroma characteristics, smoke characteristics, harmony, taste characteristics, and smoke generation characteristics.
[0075] After obtaining the initial mass of the trap (including the Cambridge filter) and the holder (including the smoking device and cigarette), an automatic trigger activates the heated smoking device and initiates the inhalation process. The mass of the trap (including the Cambridge filter) and the holder (including the smoking device and cigarette) is measured after each puff until the heated cigarette is fully inhaled. The absolute value of the difference between two consecutive weighings represents the TLM (Tobacco Loss Mass) and ACM (Aerosol Capture Mass) for the current puff sequence of the heated cigarette.
[0076] The scoring criteria are as follows:
[0077]
[0078] The results are as follows:
[0079]
[0080]
[0081] Core material form <![CDATA[逐口烟气浓度(mg·mL -1 )]]> Fragmented (Example 1) 0.00831 filamentous 0.00773 granular 0.00697
[0082] The data above shows that the heated cigarette fragment core material provided by this invention can enrich cigarette smoke, enhance the aroma of heated cigarettes, and reduce the content of impurities. Comparing Examples 1, 4-10, and Comparative Example 1 reveals that this invention, through the synergistic effect of a compound of seven enzymes—β-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, and laccase—can effectively promote fragment formation, improve the sensory quality of smoking, and reduce the content of impurities. Comparing Example 1 with commercially available filamentous core material heated cigarettes and commercially available granular core material heated cigarettes, it can be found that the heated cigarette fragment core material provided by this invention has larger gaps than filamentous core material, allowing air to pass through and increasing the smoke concentration. While granular core material has larger gaps than fragments, its preparation process requires the addition of a smoke-generating agent to assist in smoke generation. However, excessive smoke-generating agent can cause the particles to not form properly and become sticky, thus requiring control of the amount of smoke-generating agent added, which in turn affects the smoke concentration per puff.
[0083] Furthermore, the appearance of the core materials in Example 1, commercially available filamentous core heated cigarettes, commercially available granular core heated cigarettes, and Comparative Example 1 is as follows: Figure 1-4 As shown, it can be seen that the heated cigarette core material provided by the present invention has a special fragment shape, which facilitates air passage and increases the smoke concentration, and has significant advantages over the prior art; however, without the enzymatic hydrolysis process, it is impossible to achieve the special fragment shape core material.
[0084] The applicant declares that this invention illustrates the heated cigarette chip core material, its preparation method, and its application through the above embodiments. However, this invention is not limited to the above embodiments, meaning that this invention does not necessarily rely on the above embodiments for implementation. Those skilled in the art should understand that any improvements to this invention, equivalent substitutions of raw materials, additions of auxiliary components, and selection of specific methods, etc., all fall within the protection and disclosure scope of this invention.
[0085] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
[0086] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not describe the various possible combinations separately.
Claims
1. A method for preparing heated cigarette core material, characterized in that, The preparation method includes the following steps: Tobacco powder is mixed with slurry, then mixed with enzymes for enzymatic hydrolysis, followed by baking and peeling to obtain the heated cigarette fragment core material; it can be directly rolled into core material rods without the need for shredding, and the gaps between the fragments allow air to pass through easily, increasing the smoke concentration; The tobacco powder is obtained by crushing tobacco leaves, which includes flue-cured tobacco leaves and cigar tobacco leaves; the mass ratio of flue-cured tobacco leaves to cigar tobacco leaves is (7-8):(2-3); The slurry comprises, by weight, 1-2 parts wood pulp fiber, 1-5 parts sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, 5-10 parts glycerol and 70-90 parts water; The enzyme is a combination of β-1,4-glucanase, α-amylase, pectin lyase, phytase, aspartic protease, serine protease, and laccase; based on the weight of tobacco powder, the amount of β-1,4-glucanase added is 0.01-0.1%, the amount of α-amylase added is 0.05-0.15%, the amount of pectin lyase added is 0.001-0.01%, the amount of phytase added is 0.1-1%, the amount of aspartic protease added is 0.001-0.01%, the amount of serine protease added is 0.001-0.01%, and the amount of laccase added is 0.001-0.01%. The baking temperature is 80-100℃, and the baking is carried out until the water content of the enzymatically hydrolyzed mixture is 4-7%RH.
2. The preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sodium carboxymethyl cellulose has a particle size of 20-60 mesh, a viscosity of 400-600 mPa·s, and a degree of substitution >0.7 DS.
3. A heated cigarette fragment core material prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1-2.
4. The application of the heated cigarette fragment core material according to claim 3 in the preparation of heated cigarettes.