A moisture-retaining composition for reconstituted tobacco and a moisture-retaining method for reconstituted tobacco

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of tobacco processing technology, and more particularly to a moisture-retaining composition and method for reconstituted tobacco leaves. The moisture-retaining composition comprises an encapsulating carrier composed of a polysaccharide film-forming material and hygroscopic small molecules encapsulated therein, the two being bonded together by intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds to form a stable composite structure. This composition can be prepared in liquid or solid form and applied to reconstituted tobacco leaves by spraying or coating. After application, the composition synergistically leverages the film-forming and water-locking functions of the polysaccharide material and the highly efficient hygroscopic properties of the sugar substances, significantly improving the water-holding capacity and moisture stability of reconstituted tobacco leaves under different environmental humidity levels. Furthermore, the raw materials are readily available, the process is simple, and it has promising application prospects.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of tobacco processing technology, aiming to solve the technical problem of insufficient water retention in reconstituted tobacco leaves, and to provide a moisture-retaining composition and a moisture-retaining method for reconstituted tobacco leaves. Background Technology

[0002] In the tobacco processing industry, reconstituted tobacco (also known as tobacco sheet) is an important raw material component. The stability of its physical and chemical properties has a crucial impact on the processing performance, sensory quality, and quality uniformity of the final cigarette product. Compared to traditional flue-cured tobacco leaves, which are dense and rich in natural oils, reconstituted tobacco leaves develop a porous and loose physical structure during manufacturing, and are lacking in natural moisture-retaining components. This structural characteristic results in a weaker inherent moisture retention capacity, making it more sensitive to moisture exchange with the environment; specifically, it easily absorbs moisture but is more difficult to retain it. In actual large-scale production processes, such as on the tobacco processing line, the significant moisture difference between reconstituted and natural tobacco leaves poses challenges to the control of moisture uniformity in leaf blend formulations, the stability of feeding precision, and subsequent processes such as shredding and blending, thus restricting the stable improvement of overall product quality.

[0003] To improve the processing applicability and quality stability of reconstituted tobacco, the industry has widely adopted the technique of adding humectants. For a long time, polyol compounds such as glycerol and propylene glycol have been the mainstream choices for humectants. These substances, with their good hygroscopic properties, can help reconstituted tobacco absorb some moisture from the environment, alleviating its tendency to dry out to some extent. However, practical application has also shown that these traditional humectants have certain limitations. Their humectant effect is more reflected in increasing the equilibrium moisture content of the material, but their effect on the ability to "retain" moisture—that is, the ability to inhibit excessive moisture loss in low-humidity environments—is relatively limited. This can be understood as improving the material's "hygroscopic" properties, but their effect on enhancing "moisture-resistant" properties is not ideal, failing to fundamentally solve the core problem of insufficient water retention capacity in reconstituted tobacco. Therefore, exploring new humectant technologies that can more effectively coordinate the balance between "hygroscopic" and "moisture-locking" has become an ongoing research direction in this field.

[0004] In summary, while the reconstituted tobacco industry has explored various moisture retention technologies, ranging from traditional polyols to single or composite materials, it is still seeking a more balanced and effective solution. An ideal moisture retainer should not only focus on increasing the rate or final amount of moisture absorption, but also significantly enhance the material's ability to retain absorbed moisture in a dry environment. This requires synergistic optimization of the sometimes contradictory processes of "absorption" and "retention." Simultaneously, this solution must also consider the availability of raw materials, the operability of the process, and compatibility with existing production systems. Therefore, developing a new moisture retention system that better meets these comprehensive needs is of positive significance for improving the product quality and processing stability of reconstituted tobacco. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application aims to overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies where traditional humectants have an unbalanced moisture absorption and water retention capacity when applied to reconstituted tobacco, resulting in insufficient water retention. Therefore, it provides a humectant composition for reconstituted tobacco and a humectant method for reconstituted tobacco to overcome the above-mentioned deficiencies.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solution: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a moisture-retaining composition for reconstituted tobacco leaves. Includes an encapsulating carrier and a humectant capable of being encapsulated by the encapsulating carrier; wherein, The encapsulating carrier and the humectant can be bonded together through hydrogen bonds and intermolecular forces; and... The encapsulation carrier is a polysaccharide film-forming material, and the humectant is a hygroscopic small molecule substance.

[0007] This invention addresses the common problem in existing reconstituted tobacco humectants that struggle to balance effective moisture absorption and long-term water retention, offering a novel solution. Existing technologies, whether relying on the strong hygroscopic properties of traditional small-molecule humectants like glycerin, utilizing the physical barrier properties of certain film-forming materials, or simply blending different functional substances, fail to fundamentally reconcile the contradictory relationship between "rapid moisture absorption" and "slow moisture release." These methods often focus on improving a single performance indicator, while the humidity environment experienced by reconstituted tobacco during actual storage and processing is dynamically changing. Improving a single performance indicator cannot guarantee its overall moisture retention stability under complex conditions. Therefore, the industry needs a more intelligent moisture retention strategy that can respond to environmental changes and achieve dynamic moisture balance management.

[0008] Based on a deep understanding of the aforementioned technical bottlenecks, the core concept of this invention lies in no longer viewing "hygroscopicity" and "water retention" as two functions that can be independently optimized and simply superimposed, but rather in constructing a microstructure that can organically integrate and synergistically enhance both. This concept guides the determination of the technical solution towards "structured composite" rather than "simple mixing." The technical solution claimed by this invention is a concrete manifestation of this concept. It defines a composition comprising an "encapsulating carrier" and a "humectant encapsulated therein," and essentially defines the physicochemical basis of this "encapsulation" relationship through the characteristic of "binding by hydrogen bonds and intermolecular forces." The carrier is limited to "polysaccharide film-forming materials" because it has good water solubility and film-forming properties, and can form a three-dimensional matrix with a network or micro-region structure at the molecular level; while the humectant is limited to "hygroscopic small molecule substances," which ensures its ability to rapidly bind water molecules. Most importantly, the solution emphasizes the binding of the two through intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonds. This means that hygroscopic small molecules are not mechanically mixed between polysaccharide chains, but are "anchored" or "woven" into the network framework formed by polysaccharides through stable secondary bonds (mainly hydrogen bonds formed between hydroxyl groups on polysaccharide chains and hydroxyl groups on small molecules such as sugar alcohols), thus forming a relatively stable complex with a specific microstructure in thermodynamics. This "encapsulation" structure design is the fundamental feature that distinguishes this scheme from any existing simple physical mixture. It is not a simple addition of the functions of the components, but rather creates a completely new and synergistic function by constructing a new and stable "host-guest" relationship.

[0009] From a technical perspective, this encapsulation structure built through intermolecular forces provides a clever mechanism for achieving dynamic humidification. When the ambient humidity increases, the hygroscopic small molecules encapsulated inside, due to their inherent strong hydrophilicity, can quickly capture water molecules in the environment, achieving rapid "moisturization." When the environment becomes dry, the outer polysaccharide network plays a crucial role: on the one hand, the network structure itself has a certain water-holding capacity; on the other hand, and more importantly, through hydrogen bonding with the internal small molecules and the physical barrier effect on water molecules, it effectively slows down the rate of internal water diffusion and migration, like "dressing" the water in a slow-release coat with a certain binding force.

[0010] This design makes the "entry" and "exit" of water molecules controllable, achieving a dynamic balance of "tight on the outside and loose on the inside." The resulting technical effects are comprehensive and synergistic. Experiments show that reconstituted tobacco treated with this method not only maintains an ideal moisture state under high humidity conditions, but more importantly, under low humidity conditions, its moisture loss rate is significantly slowed, and its overall water retention stability and durability are greatly improved. This effect cannot be achieved by using polysaccharide materials alone, small-molecule humectants alone, or simply mixing the two. For example, while small-molecule humectants (such as trehalose) absorb moisture quickly, they also lose moisture quickly; and polysaccharide film-forming materials (such as konjac gum) have limited initial moisture adsorption capacity when used alone.

[0011] This solution achieves a stable encapsulation structure through intermolecular forces, which allows the advantages of the two components to complement and enhance each other, resulting in a synergistic effect of "1+1>2". By creatively designing and utilizing the stable encapsulation structure formed by the interaction between polysaccharide film-forming materials and hygroscopic small molecules through hydrogen bonds and other forces, it successfully solves the long-standing problem of balancing moisture absorption and water retention in the field of reconstituted tobacco leaf moisture retention.

[0012] Preferably, the polysaccharide film-forming material includes konjac gum; The hygroscopic small molecules include sugars and sugar alcohols.

[0013] As described above, this invention creatively proposes to construct an "encapsulation" structure based on intermolecular interactions to synergistically solve the problems of moisture absorption and water retention. However, those skilled in the art will know that not all polysaccharides and all small molecules can effectively form such a stable and useful functional structure.

[0014] Specifically, this invention selects konjac gum because its specific molecular chain structure (such as a high concentration of hydroxyl groups and a unique glucomannan sequence) makes it easier to unfold in an aqueous system and form a dense and elastic three-dimensional network, providing an ideal structural framework for "encapsulation". Sugars and sugar alcohols are chosen because of their moderate molecular size, high hydroxyl content, and strong hydration capacity, allowing them to function as efficient "moisture-capturing units" and form a dense hydrogen bond network with the hydroxyl groups on the konjac gum polysaccharide chains through a large number of hydroxyl groups. This allows them to be firmly "woven" or "anchored" within the konjac gum network, rather than being physically doped.

[0015] This specific combination produces a profound synergistic effect: the konjac gum network provides a stable carrier for the dispersion and fixation of sugar alcohols, slowing down their migration and precipitation in the dry-wet cycle; while the fixed sugar alcohols act like a series of regularly distributed "water molecule transfer stations", which can work efficiently, and the entry and exit of their water molecules are regulated by the dynamics of the outer network, thus achieving the dual purpose of "dynamic humidification" and "structural stability".

[0016] Preferably, the sugar and sugar alcohol are selected from one or more of trehalose, sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol.

[0017] Preferably, the composition is prepared by mixing an aqueous solution of the polysaccharide film-forming material with an aqueous solution of the hygroscopic small molecule substance.

[0018] Preferably, the mass ratio of the konjac gum to the water used to form the encapsulation structure is 1:99 to 5:95. The mass ratio of the sugar and sugar alcohol to the water used to dissolve it is 2:98 to 10:90.

[0019] Preferably, the mixing process includes stirring and mixing the two solutions at 50°C to 80°C for 2 to 4 hours.

[0020] Preferably, the composition is a solid formulation formed by freeze-drying the encapsulating carrier to encapsulate the humectant.

[0021] Secondly, the present invention also provides a method for keeping reconstituted tobacco leaves moist, comprising the step of applying the moisturizing composition to the reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0022] Preferably, the moisturizing composition is uniformly sprayed onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaf at an amount of 1% to 10% of the tobacco leaf's mass using a spraying method.

[0023] Preferably, a coating method is used, in which the moisturizing composition is added to the coating liquid at an amount of 1% to 10% of the mass of the coating liquid, and then coated onto the surface of the tobacco sheet base after mixing.

[0024] This patent provides a humectant based on konjac gum to encapsulate sugars and sugar alcohols, and its application brings many beneficial effects to the field of reconstituted tobacco: (1) In terms of core moisture retention performance, the composition combines the film-forming and water-locking properties of konjac gum with the efficient moisture absorption properties of sugar alcohols, resulting in a significant synergistic effect. This allows the treated reconstituted tobacco leaves to absorb moisture more quickly in a humid environment and to more effectively delay moisture loss in a dry environment, thus achieving better and more stable overall water retention capacity under different temperature and humidity conditions. (2) In terms of process and productization, its preparation method has clear steps, the raw materials are readily available, and the process parameters (such as temperature, time, and ratio) are clear and controllable, possessing good operability and repeatability; at the same time, it can be made into ready-to-use liquid formulations or solid powders that are easy to store and transport, providing convenience and flexibility for industrial production and application. (3) In terms of application effect, the humectant can be conveniently applied to reconstituted tobacco leaves by spraying or coating in two conventional methods, and can achieve significant effect within a certain addition ratio range (such as 1%-10%). It has good compatibility with existing production processes and is easy to promote. (4) From the perspective of safety and environmental protection, its main components are natural polysaccharides (konjac gum) and food-grade sugars or sugar alcohols, avoiding the use of potentially controversial chemical synthetic substances, making it greener and safer. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement the present invention based on these descriptions. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention described below are generally only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] General Implementation Examples This invention provides a technology for preparing and applying a konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant, comprising the following steps: A konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant is prepared from the following components: konjac gum, trehalose, and deionized water. The humectant is then uniformly sprayed onto the surface of reconstituted tobacco leaves, or added to a tobacco coating solution and coated onto the surface of a tobacco sheet base.

[0027] The preparation method of konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant includes: 1) Mix sugars and sugar alcohols with deionized water at a ratio of 2~10:90~98 until homogeneous to obtain a mixture; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 1~5:95~99. Then place it in a water bath at 65℃~90℃ and stir for 2h~4h to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, so as to obtain a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in a water bath at 50℃~80℃ and stir for 2h~4h at 100rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum encapsulating sugar and sugar alcohol humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it with water 10 to 30 times, and prepare konjac gum-encapsulated sugar and sugar alcohol humectants; 5) The konjac gum encapsulating sugar and sugar alcohol humectants obtained in 4) are freeze-dried to obtain a solid water-retaining agent.

[0028] This invention provides two methods for preparing the above-mentioned water-retaining agent in different states, namely liquid and solid.

[0029] The method of using the humectant in reconstituted tobacco leaves includes: weighing 1% to 10% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, spraying the water-holding agent evenly on the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, and then drying and shaping it; adding 1% to 10% of the mass of the tobacco coating liquid, adding the gel-encapsulating sorbitol humectant, stirring evenly, coating it on the surface of the tobacco sheet base, and then drying and shaping it.

[0030] The present invention also provides a method for calculating the water-holding capacity.

[0031] The water-holding capacity of the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant was improved when used in reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0032] Example 1 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 2:98 to obtain a mixed solution; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 1:99. Then place it in a 65℃ water bath and stir for 2-4 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in a 50℃ water bath and stir for 2-4 hours at 100 rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it 10 times with water, and prepare the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant; Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.01 kg of konjac gum encapsulating trehalose humectant at 1% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the humectant evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry at 90℃ for 10 minutes, and shape to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0033] Comparative Sample 1-1 (Reconstituted Tobacco) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.01 kg of water at 1% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the water evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0034] Comparative Examples 1-2: (Reconstituted Tobacco Leaves + Glycerin) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.01 kg of glycerol at 1% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the glycerol evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0035] The results of the comparison of water retention of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 1, Comparative Example 1-1, and Comparative Example 1-2 are shown in Table 1 below.

[0036] Table 1 Comparison of water-holding capacity of reconstituted tobacco leaves

[0037]

[0038] As shown in Table 1 above, under equilibrium conditions (22℃ / 65%RH), the sample with added konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant had the highest moisture content (13.46%), which was significantly higher than that of control sample 1-1 (9.65%) and control sample 1-2 (12.88%).

[0039] Under hygroscopic conditions (30℃ / 90%RH), the sample exhibited the highest moisture content at all time points (2h, 4h, and 6h), indicating its strongest moisture absorption capacity. At 6h, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.47 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.24 percentage points.

[0040] Under humidification conditions (20℃ / 40%RH), this sample exhibited the strongest moisture retention capacity and the slowest rate of moisture loss. After 3 hours, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.53 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.78 percentage points.

[0041] Example 2 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 4:96 to obtain a mixed solution; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 2:98. Then place it in a 75℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in a 60℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours at 100 rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it 20 times with water, and prepare the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant; Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.03 g of konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant at 3% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the humectant evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry at 90°C for 10 minutes, and shape to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0042] Comparative sample 2-1 (reconstituted tobacco) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, add 0.03 kg of water at 3% of the reconstituted tobacco leaf mass, spray the water evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape the leaves to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0043] Comparative Example 2-2: (Reconstituted Tobacco Leaf + Glycerin) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.03 kg of glycerin at 3% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the glycerin evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0044] The comparison results of water retention of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 2, Comparative Example 2-1, and Comparative Example 2-2 are shown in Table 2 below.

[0045] Table 2 Comparison of water-holding capacity of reconstituted tobacco leaves

[0046]

[0047] The data in the table above show that under hygroscopic conditions (30℃ / 90%RH), the sample had the highest moisture content at all time points (2h, 4h, and 6h), indicating its strongest moisture absorption capacity. At 6h, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.81 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.84 percentage points.

[0048] Under humidification conditions (20℃ / 40%RH), this sample exhibited the strongest moisture retention capacity and the slowest rate of moisture loss. After 3 hours, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 6.10 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 3.24 percentage points.

[0049] Example 3 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 6:94 to obtain a mixed solution; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 3:97. Then place it in an 85℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in a 70℃ water bath and stir for 4 hours at 100 rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it with water 30 times, and prepare the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant; Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.05 g of konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant at 5% of the weight of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the humectant evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry at 90°C for 10 minutes, and shape to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0050] Comparative sample 3-1 (reconstituted tobacco) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, add 0.05 kg of water (5% of the reconstituted tobacco leaf mass), spray the water evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape the leaves to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0051] Comparative Example 3-2: (Reconstituted Tobacco Leaf + Glycerin) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.05 kg of glycerin at 5% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the glycerin evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0052] The comparison results of water retention of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 3, Comparative Example 3-1, and Comparative Example 3-2 are shown in Table 3 below.

[0053] Table 3 Comparison of water-holding capacity of reconstituted tobacco leaves

[0054]

[0055] The data in the table above show that under hygroscopic conditions (30℃ / 90%RH), the sample had the highest moisture content at all time points (2h, 4h, and 6h), indicating its strongest moisture absorption capacity. At 6h, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 6.78 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 3.83 percentage points.

[0056] Under humidification conditions (20℃ / 40%RH), this sample exhibited the strongest moisture retention capacity and the slowest rate of moisture loss. After 3 hours, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.99 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.61 percentage points.

[0057] Example 4 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 8:92 to obtain a mixed solution; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 4:96. Then place it in a 75℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in an 80℃ water bath and stir for 4 hours at 100 rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it with water 30 times, and prepare the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant; Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.04 kg of konjac gum encapsulating trehalose humectant at 4% of the weight of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the humectant evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry at 90℃ for 10 minutes, and shape to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0058] Comparative sample 4-1 (reconstituted tobacco) Prepare 1 kg of coating solution, and then use a roller coater to evenly coat the tobacco extract onto the tobacco leaf base. After coating, the product is dried at 90℃ for 10 min, and then shaped to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0059] Comparative Example 4-2: (Reconstituted Tobacco Leaf + Glycerin) Prepare 1 kg of coating solution. Weigh 0.04 kg of glycerin (4% of the coating solution's mass) and add it to the coating solution, stirring until homogeneous. Then, use a roller coater to evenly coat the tobacco extract with added glycerin onto the tobacco leaf base. After coating, the product is dried at 90℃ for 10 minutes, then shaped to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0060] The comparison results of water retention of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 4, Comparative Example 4-1, and Comparative Example 4-2 are shown in Table 4 below.

[0061] Table 4 Comparison of water-holding capacity of reconstituted tobacco leaves

[0062]

[0063] The data in the table above show that under hygroscopic conditions (30℃ / 90%RH), the sample had the highest moisture content at all time points (2h, 4h, and 6h), indicating its strongest moisture absorption capacity. At 6h, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 7.00 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 4.03 percentage points.

[0064] Under humidification conditions (20℃ / 40%RH), this sample exhibited the strongest moisture retention capacity and the slowest rate of moisture loss. After 3 hours, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.89 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.71 percentage points.

[0065] Example 5 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 10:90 to obtain a mixture; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 5:95. Then place it in a 75℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in an 80℃ water bath and stir for 4 hours at 100 rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it with water 30 times, and prepare the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant; 5) The konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant obtained in 4) was freeze-dried to collect the solid humectant.

[0066] 6) Weigh a certain amount of solid water-retaining agent and dilute it with water to a concentration of 2% for later use; Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and at 2% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, weigh 0.02 kg of konjac gum encapsulating trehalose humectant. Spray the humectant evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry at 90℃ for 10 minutes, and shape to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0067] Comparative sample 5-1 (reconstituted tobacco) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, add 0.02 kg of water at 2% of the reconstituted tobacco leaf mass, spray the water evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape the leaves to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0068] Comparative Example 5-2: (Reconstituted Tobacco Leaf + Glycerin) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.02 kg of glycerol at 2% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the glycerol evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0069] The comparison results of water retention of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 5, Comparative Example 5-1, and Comparative Example 5-2 are shown in Table 5 below.

[0070] Table 5 Comparison of water-holding capacity of reconstituted tobacco leaves

[0071]

[0072] The data in the table above show that under hygroscopic conditions (30℃ / 90%RH), the sample had the highest moisture content at all time points (2h, 4h, and 6h), indicating its strongest moisture absorption capacity. At 6h, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 6.23 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 3.49 percentage points.

[0073] Under humidification conditions (20℃ / 40%RH), this sample exhibited the strongest moisture retention capacity and the slowest rate of moisture loss. After 3 hours, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.83 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 3.21 percentage points.

[0074] Example 6 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 3:97 to obtain a mixed solution; 2) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 3:97. Then place it in an 85℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 3) Slowly add solution 1) to solution 2), place in a 70℃ water bath and stir for 4 hours at 100 rpm. The resulting solution is the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant. 4) After the reaction is complete, cool the solution obtained in 3) to room temperature, dilute it with water 30 times, and prepare the konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant; Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and at 2% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, weigh 0.02 kg of konjac gum encapsulating trehalose humectant. Spray the humectant evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry at 90℃ for 10 minutes, and shape to obtain reconstituted tobacco leaves.

[0075] Comparative sample 6-1 (reconstituted tobacco leaves + konjac gum) 1) Mix trehalose and deionized water at a ratio of 3:97 to obtain a trehalose solution; 2) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.02 kg of trehalose solution at 2% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the solution evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0076] Comparative Example 6-2: (Reconstituted Tobacco + Trehalose) 1) Slowly add konjac gum to deionized water while continuously stirring, at a ratio of 3:97. Then place it in an 85℃ water bath and stir for 3 hours to ensure that the konjac gum is completely dissolved and hydrated, resulting in a homogeneous konjac gum solution; 2) Weigh 1 kg of reconstituted tobacco leaves, and weigh 0.02 kg of konjac gum solution at 2% of the mass of the reconstituted tobacco leaves. Spray the solution evenly onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaves, dry and shape it to obtain a reconstituted tobacco leaf sample.

[0077] The comparison results of water retention of reconstituted tobacco leaves in Example 6, Comparative Example 6-1, and Comparative Example 6-2 are shown in Table 6 below.

[0078] Table 6 Comparison of water-holding capacity of reconstituted tobacco leaves

[0079]

[0080] The data in the table above show that under hygroscopic conditions (30℃ / 90%RH), the sample had the highest moisture content at all time points (2h, 4h, and 6h), indicating its strongest moisture absorption capacity. At 6h, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 1.39 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.15 percentage points.

[0081] Under humidification conditions (20℃ / 40%RH), this sample exhibited the strongest moisture retention capacity and the slowest rate of moisture loss. After 3 hours, compared to control sample 1-1, the reconstituted tobacco leaves sprayed with konjac gum-encapsulated trehalose humectant showed a 5.75 percentage point increase in water retention capacity; compared to control sample 1-2, the water retention capacity increased by 2.90 percentage points.

[0082] The above embodiments are for illustrating the implementation schemes disclosed in this invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention. Furthermore, various modifications and variations of the methods listed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Although the invention has been specifically described in conjunction with various specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention should not be limited to these specific embodiments. In fact, various modifications as described above that are obvious to those skilled in the art to obtain the invention should be included within the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A moisture-retaining composition for reconstituted tobacco leaves, characterized in that, Includes an encapsulating carrier and a humectant capable of being encapsulated by the encapsulating carrier; wherein, The encapsulating carrier and the humectant can be bonded together through hydrogen bonds and intermolecular forces; and... The encapsulation carrier is a polysaccharide film-forming material, and the humectant is a hygroscopic small molecule substance.

2. The moisturizing composition according to claim 1, characterized in that, The polysaccharide film-forming material includes konjac gum; The hygroscopic small molecules include sugars and sugar alcohols.

3. The moisturizing composition according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sugars and sugar alcohols are selected from one or more of trehalose, sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol.

4. The moisturizing composition according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The composition is prepared by mixing an aqueous solution of the polysaccharide film-forming material with an aqueous solution of the hygroscopic small molecule substance.

5. The moisturizing composition according to claim 4, characterized in that, The mass ratio of the konjac gum to the water used to form the encapsulation structure is 1:99 to 5:

95. The mass ratio of the sugar and sugar alcohol to the water used to dissolve it is 2:98 to 10:

90.

6. The moisturizing composition according to claim 5, characterized in that... The mixing process includes stirring and mixing the two solutions at 50°C to 80°C for 2 to 4 hours.

7. The moisturizing composition according to any one of claims 1-3, The composition is a solid formulation formed by freeze-drying the encapsulating carrier to encapsulate the humectant.

8. A method for retaining moisture in reconstituted tobacco leaves, characterized in that, The step includes applying the moisturizing composition according to any one of claims 1-7 to reconstituted tobacco leaves.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The moisturizing composition is uniformly sprayed onto the surface of the reconstituted tobacco leaf at an amount of 1% to 10% of the leaf's mass using a spraying method.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The moisturizing composition is added to the coating liquid at a concentration of 1% to 10% of the coating liquid mass using a coating method, and then mixed and coated onto the surface of the tobacco sheet base.

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