Tobacco essential oil substitute flavor base and use thereof

Abstract

A tobacco essential oil substitute base and its application belong to the technical field of tobacco flavor and perfume, and the substitute base is compounded by aroma component modules, smoke state adjusting modules and strength adjusting modules in proportion; wherein the aroma component modules include 15 kinds of monomer compounds such as solanone, megastigmatrienone and farnesyl acetone, which are used for simulating tobacco characteristic aroma; the smoke state adjusting modules include 9 components such as neophytadiene and long-chain fatty acid, which are used for improving smoke softness, delicacy and roundness; the strength adjusting modules include nicotine, lactic acid and citric acid, which are used for adjusting smoke strength and irritancy. The substitute base can be used for tobacco shred flavoring, filter tip flavoring or blasting bead flavoring, and the overall sensory quality is better than that of natural tobacco essential oil. The base component is clear, batch stability is good, and the preparation process is simple, which can be used for enhancing tobacco aroma, improving smoke state and improving low-tar cigarette quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of tobacco flavoring technology, specifically relating to a tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base based on modular compounding of monomeric compounds, its preparation method, and its application in cigarette flavoring. Background Technology

[0002] Tobacco essential oil is a natural aroma component extracted from tobacco leaves using steam distillation. It has a rich, characteristic tobacco aroma and is widely used in flavoring medium- and high-grade cigarettes as well as low-tar cigarettes. It can effectively improve the sensory quality and smoke concentration of cigarettes. However, natural tobacco essential oil has the following two inherent defects: (1) Low yield, with the extracted essential oil usually accounting for only 0.1% to 0.5% of the dry weight of tobacco leaves, resulting in relatively high production costs; (2) The content of the main chemical components and aroma components of the tobacco raw materials fluctuates greatly due to factors such as origin, variety, year, and processing technology. This results in large fluctuations in the aroma components of tobacco essential oil between batches, making it difficult to guarantee its long-term quality stability.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have attempted to replace natural extracts with compound flavorings using single-component fragrances. For example, Chinese patent CN201810901449.3 discloses a tobacco-style leaf composition that simulates tobacco flavor by using a combination of flavoring, taste, aroma-enhancing, and smoke-generating modules. However, this technical solution still primarily relies on natural tobacco raw materials and plant extracts, and each module still contains various natural raw material extracts with undefined components, thus the issue of batch-to-batch quality stability remains unresolved. Chinese patents CN202411565858.2 and CN202411558674.3 both involve machine learning-based flavor base module design methods, but their technical focus is on module selection algorithms rather than providing a composition product with clearly defined components that can be directly industrialized.

[0004] Furthermore, existing tobacco flavoring compounding schemes mostly focus on single functions such as enhancing aroma, sweetness, moisturizing, or reducing intensity. No modular and synergistic solutions have been found that combine aroma characteristic simulation, smoke state adjustment, and strength adjustment to achieve a systematic replacement of natural tobacco essential oils. Therefore, developing a substitute flavoring base with clearly defined components, batch stability, and the ability to comprehensively simulate the aroma characteristics of tobacco essential oils and the flavoring effects of cigarettes has significant industrial application value. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the inherent defects of existing natural tobacco essential oils, such as low yield, poor batch quality stability, and difficulty in fully simulating the overall aroma characteristics of tobacco essential oils and replicating the cigarette quality-enhancing function of tobacco essential oils. The present invention provides a substitute flavoring base with clear composition, batch stability, and the ability to fully replace natural tobacco essential oils and its application.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is prepared by mixing an aroma component module, a smoke state adjustment module, and a strength adjustment module. The aroma component module is used to provide characteristic tobacco aromas, the smoke state adjustment module is used to improve the smoothness and delicacy of cigarette smoke, and the strength adjustment module is used to adjust the strength and physiological irritation of the smoke.

[0007] The aroma component module includes solanone, megastigmatrienone, farnesylacetone, dihydroactinolone, geraniol, β-dihydrodamascone, β-ionone, β-damascone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 2-methylbutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, phenylacetic acid, 3-acetylpyridine, and 2-acetylpyrrole. The flue gas state adjustment module includes neophytadiene, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, hexadecanoic acid, stearic acid, methyl linolenic acid and / or ethyl linolenic acid, methyl linoleate and / or ethyl linoleate, methyl hexadecanoate and / or ethyl hexadecanoate, methyl stearate and / or ethyl stearate. The strength adjustment module includes nicotine, lactic acid, and citric acid; By weight, the ratio of the aroma component module, the smoke state adjustment module, and the strength adjustment module is 1:(0.5-1.5):(0.1-1.0); the preferred ratio is 1:(0.6-1.0):(0.7-1.0).

[0008] Furthermore, the aroma component module comprises, by mass percentage: 0.3%–1.0% solanone; 0.2%–0.8% megastigmatrienone; 0.1%–0.4% farnesylacetone; 0.03%–0.12% dihydroactinolone; 0.03%–0.12% geraniolacetone; 0.004%–0.016% β-dihydrodamascone; 0.003%–0.012% β-ionone; and 0.00% β-damascone. 2%–0.008%; 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one 0.002%–0.008%; 2-methylbutyric acid 0.06%–0.30%; isovaleric acid 0.04%–0.20%; 4-methylvaleric acid 0.01%–0.40%; phenylacetic acid 0.005%–0.020%; 3-acetylpyridine 0.005%–0.030%; 2-acetylpyrrole 0.005%–0.030%; balance is solvent.

[0009] Furthermore, the flue gas state adjustment module comprises, by mass percentage: 2.0%–5.0% neophytadiene; 3.0%–6.0% linolenic acid; 2.0%–4.0% linoleic acid; 2.0%–4.0% hexadecanoic acid; 0.2%–0.4% stearic acid; 0.6%–3.0% methyl linoleate and / or ethyl linoleate; 0.6%–3.0% methyl linoleate and / or ethyl linoleate; 0.8%–4.0% methyl hexadecanoate and / or ethyl hexadecanoate; 0.2%–1.0% methyl stearate and / or ethyl stearate; the balance being solvent.

[0010] Furthermore, the strength adjustment module comprises, by mass percentage: nicotine 1.0%–8.0%; lactic acid 0.5%–3.0%; citric acid 0.5%–3.0%; with the remainder being solvent.

[0011] Furthermore, the solvent is propylene glycol or a propylene glycol-glycerol mixture, and the mass percentage of glycerol in the propylene glycol-glycerol mixture is not higher than 50%.

[0012] Furthermore, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring of the present invention does not contain natural tobacco essential oil or natural plant extracts.

[0013] This invention also provides a method for preparing a tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring, comprising the following steps: S1. Weigh out each component from the aroma component module, the smoke state adjustment module, and the strength adjustment module according to the formula, and add them to the corresponding solvents respectively. Stir and dissolve to obtain the aroma component module mother liquor, the smoke state adjustment module mother liquor, and the strength adjustment module mother liquor. S2. Weigh the aroma component module mother liquor, the smoke state adjustment module mother liquor, and the strength adjustment module mother liquor according to the weight ratio of 1:(0.5~1.5):(0.1~1.0); S3. Mix the three types of module mother liquor weighed in step S2 and stir for 10 to 60 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 35°C to obtain tobacco essential oil substitute flavor base. The stirring speed is 100 rpm to 300 rpm.

[0014] This invention also provides the application of tobacco essential oil as a substitute for flavoring base in cigarette flavoring.

[0015] The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base can be used for flavoring tobacco shreds, filters, or flavoring capsules. When used for flavoring tobacco shreds, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is diluted with an ethanol solution and then applied to the tobacco shreds. The amount of the original tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base relative to the tobacco shreds is 0.001% to 0.05%. When used for flavoring filters, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is diluted with triacetin to a mass concentration of 0.1% to 5.0% and applied to the filter through flavoring thread, filter rod, or filter tip loading. When used for flavoring capsules, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is diluted with caprylic / capric triglyceride to a mass concentration of 0.05% to 2.5% and filled into the flavor capsule of the cigarette filter.

[0016] Mechanism of action of the present invention: This invention, based on the synergistic effect of three modules, comprehensively simulates and optimizes the sensory characteristics of natural tobacco essential oil from three dimensions: aroma features, physical taste, and physiological satisfaction. (1) Aroma Characteristics: The 15 key aroma components in the aroma component module were determined based on the aroma composition analysis results of natural tobacco essential oils. Among them, carotenoid degradation products such as solanone, megastigmatrienone, and farnesylacetone constitute the main flue-cured and caramel-sweet aroma of tobacco; β-damaconone, β-dihydrodamaconone, and β-ionone provide floral and fruity aromas; lower fatty acids such as 2-methylbutyric acid, isovaleric acid, and 4-methylvaleric acid provide roasted and sour aromas; and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds such as 3-acetylpyridine and 2-acetylpyrrole enhance the mellowness and fullness of the smoke. The precise blending of the above components can highly simulate the characteristic aroma profile of natural tobacco essential oils.

[0017] (2) Physical taste dimension: Neophytadiene, the most abundant terpene component in tobacco, in the smoke state adjustment module has excellent smoke carrying and dispersion properties; long-chain fatty acids such as linolenic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid, as well as their methyl / ethyl ester derivatives, can form a lubricating film in the smoke aerosol, reducing the direct contact between irritating components and the oral mucosa, thereby improving the smoothness, delicacy, and roundness of the smoke. The combination of various fatty acids and their esters with different carbon chain lengths can form a more complete lubrication system.

[0018] (3) Physiological satisfaction dimension: The strength adjustment module regulates the pH value of the smoke by synergistically combining nicotine and organic acids (lactic acid, citric acid) to control the proportion of free nicotine, thereby achieving precise control of the strength and physiological stimulation of the smoke. An appropriate amount of organic acids can neutralize the alkalinity of nicotine, reduce throat irritation, and at the same time slow down the release rate of nicotine, making the physiological satisfaction more stable and lasting.

[0019] The three modules described above have clearly defined functions and work together to achieve a systematic simulation and optimization of the sensory characteristics of natural tobacco essential oils. In summary, these three modules respectively correspond to the aroma contribution, smoke state contribution, and physiological satisfaction contribution of tobacco essential oils, and their combination can achieve a systematic substitution of natural tobacco essential oils.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) Modular synergistic substitution: This invention proposes for the first time a modular design concept with three dimensions: "aroma characteristics + physical taste + physiological satisfaction". Each module has a clear function and cooperates with each other. The three modules are indispensable (as demonstrated by Comparative Examples 1-3), which together realize the systematic simulation of the sensory characteristics of natural tobacco essential oil.

[0021] (2) Sensory effects are superior to natural essential oils: Examples show that cigarette samples with the addition of the substitute flavoring base of the present invention have higher scores in terms of aroma quality, aroma quantity, flue-cured aroma, caramel sweet aroma, roasted aroma, etc. than the natural tobacco essential oil control sample, with a total score increase of 1.3 to 3.5 points, achieving the technical effect of "the substitute is superior to the substitute".

[0022] (3) Excellent batch stability: Batch stability tests in Example 4 showed that the RSD of each major component in 10 batches was <7.8%, which is far superior to that of natural tobacco essential oil (the RSD of the major aroma components ranged from 18.6% to 34.2%). Example 5 further verified the batch stability of the boundary ratio. This proves that the present invention uses all monomeric compounds, fundamentally solving the industry pain point of poor batch quality stability of natural tobacco essential oil.

[0023] (4) Flexible application: It can be applied to various cigarette flavoring scenarios such as flavoring tobacco, flavoring filter (flavoring thread) and flavoring capsules, and has good industrial adaptability.

[0024] (5) Simple preparation process: The raw materials are all commercially available chemicals. The preparation process only requires stirring at room temperature. No special equipment is needed. The production cost is low and it is suitable for large-scale industrial production. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the module composition and preparation process of the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2This is a radar chart comparing the sensory evaluation of Embodiment 1 and Comparative Examples 1-3 of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and comparative examples. The following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this invention.

[0028] Experimental Materials: Unless otherwise specified, all raw materials used in the following examples and comparative examples were commercially available analytical grade or food-grade raw materials. Propylene glycol (PG) or a mixture of propylene glycol and glycerol (glycerol content 30%) was used as the solvent. The "caprylic / capric glyceride" used in Example 3 was a special diluent for popping beads, with a purity ≥98.0%.

[0029] The blank cigarettes used in the following examples and comparative examples are as follows: Blank Cigarette 1: A blank control cigarette of a certain brand, with no added flavorings or aroma enhancers in the tobacco. Cigarette specifications: circumference 24 mm, cigarette length 84 mm, filter length 20 mm, filter ventilation rate 0%. Blank cigarette 2: A certain brand of cigarette with 6mg tar content. No flavoring is added to the tobacco or filter tip. Cigarette specifications: circumference 24mm, cigarette length 84mm, filter length 25mm, filter ventilation rate 25%.

[0030] All drug evaluations were conducted blindly by seven professional drug evaluators, with each indicator scored from 0 to 10 (a higher score for stimulation indicates lower stimulation). Example

[0031] 1. Module Configuration Prepare mother liquors (by mass percentage, using propylene glycol as solvent) for each of the three modules: Aroma component module (denoted as Module A): Solanone 0.5%, Megastigmatrienone 0.5%, Farnesylacetone 0.2%, Dihydroactinolone 0.10%, Geraniolacetone 0.06%, β-Dihydrodamascone 0.012%, β-ionone 0.008%, β-damascone 0.006%, 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one 0.005%, 2-Methylbutyric acid 0.2%, Isovaleric acid 0.12%, 4-Methylvaleric acid 0.2%, Phenylacetic acid 0.012%, 3-acetylpyridine 0.015%, 2-acetylpyrrole 0.020%, with the balance being propylene glycol.

[0032] Flue gas condition adjustment module (denoted as module B): Neophytadiene 3.5%, Linolenic acid 4.0%, Linoleic acid 3.0%, Palmitic acid 3.0%, Octadecic acid 0.3%, Ethyl linolenic acid 1.8%, Ethyl linoleate 1.5%, Ethyl palmitic acid 2.5%, Ethyl stearate 0.6%, with the balance being propylene glycol.

[0033] The strength adjustment module (denoted as module C) contains 6.0% nicotine, 3% lactic acid, 2% citric acid, and the balance is propylene glycol.

[0034] 2. Alternative to fragrance base formulation Take 100g (1 part) of aroma component module A, 100g (1.0 part) of smoke state adjustment module B, and 100g (1 part) of strength adjustment module C prepared above, and transfer them to stainless steel mixing tanks at room temperature. Stir at 200 rpm for 30 minutes to obtain a uniform and transparent tobacco essential oil substitute flavor base S1.

[0035] 3. Application and Evaluation Application: S1 was diluted 10 times with 95% ethanol and evenly sprayed onto a blank control cigarette shred (without any added flavorings or aroma enhancers) at a dosage of 0.5% of the tobacco shred weight, and rolled into cigarette X1. The blank control sample consisted of the same batch of tobacco shreds, sprayed with an equal amount of 95% ethanol, and rolled into blank cigarette 1. Simultaneously, a commercially available natural tobacco essential oil was diluted 10 times with 95% ethanol and evenly sprayed onto the same blank control cigarette shred at a dosage of 0.5% of the tobacco shred weight, and rolled into control cigarette Y1.

[0036] Sensory evaluation results: Blind tasting was conducted by 7 professional smokers, and the results are shown in Table 1. Compared with the blank cigarette 1 control sample, the cigarette sample X1 with added S1 had a rich aroma, with typical high-quality flue-cured tobacco aroma, sweet caramel aroma, and roasted aroma, while also possessing floral and fresh aroma characteristics. The aroma was full, harmonious, and elegant; the smoke was smooth, delicate, and rounded on the palate, without any scratchiness; the strength was improved to a certain extent and was generally suitable, providing good physiological satisfaction, while significantly reducing throat irritation (the higher the irritation score, the lower the irritation). The overall sensory quality (total score 71.0 points) was superior to the blank cigarette 1 (total score 60.8 points) and the control sample Y1 of a commercially available natural tobacco essential oil (total score 69.7 points), achieving the functional substitution effect of natural tobacco essential oil.

[0037] Table 1. Sensory evaluation results of blank control cigarettes 1, Y1, X1, and X2.

[0038] Example 2 (Module Proportion Adjustment) Aroma component modules A, B, and C are the same as in Example 1. Take 100g (1 part) of aroma component module A, 60g (0.6 part) of smoke state adjustment module B, and 80g (0.8 part) of strength adjustment module C, mix them evenly to obtain substitute flavor base S2.

[0039] Application: S2 was diluted to a concentration of 1% with triacetic acid glyceride and applied to cigarettes of the same brand as in Example 1 by adding flavoring via the filter tip (each filter tip flavoring thread carries approximately 2 mg of flavoring) to prepare cigarette X2.

[0040] Sensory evaluation results: Blind tasting was conducted by 7 professional smokers, and the results are shown in Table 1. Compared with the blank cigarette 1 control sample, cigarette sample X2 with added S2 showed significantly enhanced smoke strength and physiological impact compared with Example 1 (cigarette sample X1), making it suitable for consumers seeking high satisfaction. Meanwhile, due to the slightly lower dosage of module B, the smoothness and irritation of the smoke remained at a good level, without any noticeable roughness. With the increased dosage of module A, the scores for aroma quality, aroma quantity, flue-cured aroma, caramel sweetness, and roasted aroma were all higher than those of Example 1 (cigarette sample X1), and the overall sensory quality score (total score 72.6 points) was significantly higher than that of the blank cigarette 1 (total score 60.8 points), an increase of 1.6 points compared to Example 1 (cigarette X1).

[0041] Example 3 (Application of Bursting Beads) 1. Module Configuration Prepare mother liquors for the three modules separately (by mass percentage, solvent is propylene glycol-glycerol (70:30)): Aroma component module (Module A): Solanone 0.8%, Megastigmatrienone 0.6%, Farnesylacetone 0.3%, Dihydroactinolone 0.12%, Geraniolacetone 0.12%, β-Dihydrodamascone 0.016%, β-ionone 0.012%, β-damascone 0.006%, 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one 0.008%, 2-Methylbutyric acid 0.2%, Isovaleric acid 0.12%, 4-Methylvaleric acid 0.2%, Phenylacetic acid 0.020%, 3-acetylpyridine 0.030%, 2-acetylpyrrole 0.030%, with the balance being propylene glycol-glycerol (70:30).

[0042] Flue gas condition adjustment module (Module B): Neophytadiene 2.0%, Linolenic acid 6.0%, Linoleic acid 4.0%, Palmitic acid 4.0%, Octadecic acid 0.4%, Methyl linolenic acid 3.0%, Methyl linoleate 3.0%, Methyl palmitate 4.0%, Methyl stearate 1.0%, with the balance being propylene glycol-glycerol (70:30).

[0043] Strength adjustment module (Module C): Nicotine 5.0%, lactic acid 1.0%, citric acid 0.5%, with the balance being propylene glycol-glycerin (70:30).

[0044] 2. Alternative to fragrance base formulation Take 100g (1 part) of aroma component module A, 100g (1.0 part) of smoke state adjustment module B, and 70g (0.7 part) of strength adjustment module C prepared above, and transfer them to stainless steel mixing tanks at room temperature. Stir at 250 rpm for 25 minutes to obtain a uniform and transparent tobacco essential oil substitute flavor base S3.

[0045] 3. Application and Evaluation Application: A blank cigarette control sample 2 was prepared using tobacco from a certain brand with a tar content of 6mg, without any flavoring added to the tobacco or filter tip. Flavor base S3 was diluted 500 times with caprylic / capric triglyceride (98.0% purity), and the diluted solution was filled into flavor capsules (25μL per capsule). The flavor capsules were inserted into the filter tip. Except for the addition of one flavor capsule to the filter rod, the cigarette auxiliary materials and tobacco were kept consistent with the blank cigarette control sample 2, and cigarette X3 was prepared. A commercially available natural tobacco essential oil was diluted 10 times with caprylic / capric triglyceride (98.0% purity), and the diluted solution was filled into flavor capsules (25μL per capsule). The flavor capsules were inserted into the filter tip. The cigarette auxiliary materials and tobacco were kept consistent with the blank cigarette control sample 2 and cigarette X3, and cigarette Y2 was prepared.

[0046] Sensory evaluation results: Blind tasting was conducted by 7 professional smokers, and the results are shown in Table 1. Compared with the blank cigarette control sample 2, the cigarette sample X3 with added S3 showed the following improvements: aroma quality and aroma quantity increased by 1.2 and 1.6 points respectively; strength was significantly improved (by 1.5 points), and physiological satisfaction reached the level of 8mg cigarettes, while throat irritation remained largely unchanged; the scores for flue-cured tobacco aroma, caramel sweet aroma, roasted floral aroma, and fresh aroma were all improved by more than 1 point, and the overall aroma was natural, harmonious, elegant, soft, delicate, and mellow. The sensory quality of the cigarette sample X3 with added S3 (total score 70.4 points) was significantly better than the blank cigarette control sample 2 (total score 58.5 points) and the control cigarette sample Y2 (total score 67.1 points) made with a commercially available natural tobacco essential oil, achieving functional substitution for the natural tobacco essential oil.

[0047] Table 2 Sensory evaluation results of blank control cigarettes 2, X3, and X4

[0048] Example 4 (Batch Stability Test) Batch repeatability tests were conducted on the tobacco essential oil substitute flavor base S1 prepared in Example 1.

[0049] Test Method: Following the formulation and preparation method in Example 1, 10 batches of S1 fragrance base were independently prepared consecutively. Samples from each batch were taken, and three pretreatment methods were used: solvent dilution, silanization derivatization after dilution, and methyl sulfate derivatization. The content of each component in S1 fragrance base was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The relative standard deviation (RSD%) of each component in the 10 batches was calculated.

[0050] Meanwhile, a batch of S1 fragrance base was selected and stored in a sealed, light-protected environment at room temperature (25±2℃). Samples were taken on day 0, day 30, day 60, and day 90 to determine the content of each of the above components and to investigate the long-term storage stability.

[0051] Test results: See Table 3.

[0052] Results analysis: (1) Batch repeatability: In 10 batches of formulation, the RSD of each representative component was between 2.8% and 7.8%, which is far superior to that of natural tobacco essential oil (the batch RSD of its main aroma components is usually between 15% and 35%). This indicates that the present invention uses all monomeric compounds, which fundamentally solves the problem of batch quality instability caused by fluctuations in tobacco raw materials in natural tobacco essential oil, and has good consistency in industrial production.

[0053] (2) Storage stability: During 90 days of room temperature storage, the RSD of each component content was less than 9.5%, indicating that the flavor base of the present invention has good chemical stability and shelf life, and can meet the requirements of industrial storage and transportation.

[0054] Table 3 Batch repeatability and storage stability of tobacco essential oil as a substitute for flavor base S1 in Example 1 (n=10, RSD%)

[0055] Example 5 (Verification and stability of different ratio ranges) To further verify the rationality of the mass percentage range of each component in this invention, alternative fragrance base S4 was prepared according to the following boundary ratio: Aroma component module (boundary ratio): Solanone 0.3%, Megastigmatrienone 0.2%, Farnesylacetone 0.1%, Dihydroactinolone 0.03%, Geraniolacetone 0.03%, β-Dihydrodamascone 0.004%, β-ionone 0.003%, β-damascone 0.002%, 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one 0.002%, 2-Methylbutyric acid 0.06%, Isovaleric acid 0.04%, 4-Methylvaleric acid 0.01%, Phenylacetic acid 0.005%, 3-acetylpyridine 0.005%, 2-acetylpyrrole 0.005%, balance propylene glycol.

[0056] Flue gas condition adjustment module (boundary ratio): Neophytadiene 2.0%, Linolenic acid 3.0%, Linoleic acid 2.0%, Palmitic acid 2.0%, Octadecic acid 0.2%, Ethyl linolenic acid 0.6%, Ethyl linoleate 0.6%, Ethyl palmitic acid 0.8%, Ethyl stearate 0.2%, with the balance being propylene glycol.

[0057] Strength adjustment module (boundary ratio): Nicotine 1.0%, lactic acid 0.5%, citric acid 0.5%, balance propylene glycol.

[0058] The above modules are mixed in a weight ratio of A:B:C = 1:0.5:0.1 and applied to blank cigarettes in the same manner as in Example 1 to make cigarettes X4.

[0059] Sensory evaluation results: Compared with the blank control cigarette, the aroma quality, aroma quantity, flue-cured tobacco aroma, and caramel sweet aroma of cigarette X4 were significantly improved (the improvement ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 points), and the total score was improved by 6.5 points.

[0060] Batch stability test: Ten batches of X4 were prepared for stability testing. The RSD of each component was <8.5% (specific data omitted), indicating that the boundary ratio also has good batch stability.

[0061] The results show that the endpoint values ​​of the mass percentage range defined in the claims of this invention can achieve the expected technical effect, and the batch stability is good.

[0062] Comparative Example 1 (Missing flue gas condition adjustment module) Using only 100g of aroma component module A, 100g of strength adjustment module C (module B not used), and 100g of propylene glycol from Example 1, a comparative flavor base D1 was obtained. The same blank tobacco shreds from Example 1 were flavored with flavor base D1 in the same manner as in Example 1, and cigarette Y3 was obtained by rolling using the same cigarette auxiliary materials as cigarette X1 from Example 1.

[0063] Evaluation results: As shown in Table 4, the aroma characteristics are similar to those of Example 1, but the smoke is noticeably drier, rougher, and more scattered, with a significant decrease in smoothness and fineness, and a rougher feel. This indicates that the smoke state adjustment module plays an irreplaceable role in improving the physical taste of the smoke.

[0064] Comparative Example 2 (The proportion of organic acids in the strength adjustment module is too low) The strength adjustment module C was modified to contain: 6.0% nicotine, 0.1% lactic acid, 0.1% citric acid (total organic acid 0.2%), with the remainder being propylene glycol. Modules A, B, and C were mixed in a 1:1:1 ratio to obtain flavor base D2. The same blank tobacco shreds as in Example 1 were flavored with flavor base D2 in the same manner as in Example 1, and cigarette auxiliary materials were used in cigarette X1 from Example 1 to produce cigarette Y4.

[0065] Evaluation results: As shown in Table 4, although the smoke is strong, it is also very irritating, with a noticeable stinging and burning sensation in the throat and a bitter aftertaste. This indicates that appropriate amounts of lactic acid and citric acid are crucial for neutralizing the alkalinity of nicotine, slowing down its release, and reducing irritation.

[0066] Comparative Example 3 (Key components missing from the aroma component module) In aroma component module A, solanone and megastigmatrienone were removed, while the rest remained the same as in Example 1. This was then mixed with modules B and C in a 1:1:1 ratio to obtain D3. The application was the same as in Example 1. The same blank tobacco shreds from Example 1 were flavored with D3 aroma base in the same manner as in Example 1, and cigarette auxiliary materials were used in cigarette X1 from Example 1 to produce cigarette Y5.

[0067] Evaluation results: As shown in Table 4, the smoke lost its typical tobacco aroma, with obvious woody and off-flavors, and the overall aroma was bland and monotonous, proving that solanone and megastigmatrienone are the core components that constitute the main aroma of tobacco.

[0068] In summary, the tobacco essential oil substitute provided by this invention, through modular design and the synergistic effect of specific components, successfully simulates and optimizes the sensory characteristics of natural tobacco essential oil, and has extremely high industrial application value and product flexibility.

[0069] Table 4 Sensory evaluation results of blank control cigarettes 1, X1, and Y3-Y5

[0070] Comparative Example 4 (Batch stability of natural tobacco essential oil) A commercially available brand of natural tobacco essential oil was selected, and samples from 10 different production batches (different batches correspond to different tobacco raw material batches) were purchased consecutively. The same series of GC-MS methods as in Example 4 were used to determine 27 important components in the flavor base, and the batch RSD of each component was calculated.

[0071] Test results: The batch RSDs of the main aroma components in natural tobacco essential oils were all between 18.6% and 34.2% (see Table 5 for specific data), which is much higher than the RSD of Example 4 of this invention (2.8% to 7.8%). This fully demonstrates that the batch quality stability of natural tobacco essential oils is difficult to guarantee due to factors such as the origin, variety, year, and processing technology of the tobacco leaves; while this invention uses only monomeric compounds, solving this problem from the source.

[0072] Table 5. Batch repeatability of major aroma components in commercially available natural tobacco essential oils (n=10, RSD%)

[0073] Results Analysis 1. Validation of Modular Synergistic Effect Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Examples 1-3: Comparative Example 1 (Module B missing): The score for smooth / mellow / rounded decreased from 7.3 to 6.2, and the irritation decreased from 7.0 to 6.3, proving that the smoke state adjustment module plays an irreplaceable role in improving the physical taste of smoke.

[0074] Comparative Example 2 (low organic acid ratio): The irritation score dropped from 7.0 to 5.8. Although the nicotine was strong, the throat stinging sensation was obvious, proving that organic acids are crucial for neutralizing the alkalinity of nicotine and reducing irritation.

[0075] Comparative Example 3 (lacking solanone and mesostearene): The aroma score of flue-cured tobacco decreased from 7.5 to 6.6, and the aroma quality decreased from 7.5 to 6.5, proving that solanone and mesostearene are the core components constituting the main aroma of tobacco.

[0076] The above results indicate that the three modules are indispensable and together they constitute an overall sensory effect that is highly similar to that of natural tobacco essential oil, producing a significant synergistic effect.

[0077] 2. Superior sensory effects compared to natural essential oils Example 1 (cigarette X1) scored 71.0, which is better than the natural tobacco essential oil control Y1's 69.7; Example 3 (capsule X3) scored 70.4, which is better than the natural tobacco essential oil control Y2's 67.1. This shows that the present invention not only achieves functional substitution for natural tobacco essential oil, but also surpasses it in multiple sensory indicators.

[0078] 3. Batch stability verification Example 4 shows that the RSD of each major component in the 10 batches of formulation was <7.8%, and the RSD of 90-day storage stability was <9.5%. Comparative Example 4 shows that the batch RSD of the main aroma components of natural tobacco essential oil was 18.6% to 34.2%. The batch stability of this invention is significantly better than that of natural tobacco essential oil, proving that the use of all monomeric compounds fundamentally solves the industry pain point of unstable batch quality of natural products.

[0079] 4. Boundary ratio verification Example 5 verifies the feasibility of the endpoint values ​​of the mass percentage range in the claims, indicating that the scope of protection of the present invention has sufficient technical support.

[0080] Industrial applicability The tobacco essential oil substitute provided by this invention uses readily available raw materials, is simple to formulate, and is inexpensive. It can be widely used in the flavoring of various types of cigarettes, and is particularly suitable for improving the quality of mid-to-high-end cigarettes and low-tar cigarettes that have a high dependence on tobacco essential oils. Its modular design based entirely on monomeric compounds provides a feasible solution for the standardized and precise production of tobacco flavoring substitutes. Batch stability tests show that this invention has excellent consistency in industrial production and can meet the requirements of large-scale production.

Claims

1. A tobacco essential oil substitute for a flavoring base, characterized in that, The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is formulated by mixing and formulating an aroma component module, a smoke state adjustment module, and a strength adjustment module. The aroma component module includes solanone, megastigmatrienone, farnesylacetone, dihydroactinolone, geraniol, β-dihydrodamascone, β-ionone, β-damascone, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, 2-methylbutyric acid, isovaleric acid, 4-methylvaleric acid, phenylacetic acid, 3-acetylpyridine, and 2-acetylpyrrole. The flue gas state adjustment module includes neophytadiene, linolenic acid, linoleic acid, hexadecanoic acid, stearic acid, methyl linolenic acid and / or ethyl linolenic acid, methyl linoleate and / or ethyl linoleate, methyl hexadecanoate and / or ethyl hexadecanoate, methyl stearate and / or ethyl stearate. The strength adjustment module includes nicotine, lactic acid, and citric acid; By weight, the ratio of the aroma component module, the smoke state adjustment module, and the strength adjustment module is 1:(0.5-1.5):(0.1-1.0).

2. The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aroma component module comprises, by mass percentage: 0.3%–1.0% solanone; 0.2%–0.8% megastigmatrienone; 0.1%–0.4% farnesylacetone; 0.03%–0.12% dihydroactinolone; 0.03%–0.12% geraniolacetone; 0.004%–0.016% β-dihydrodamascone; 0.003%–0.012% β-ionone; and 0.002%– 0.008%; 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one 0.002%–0.008%; 2-methylbutyric acid 0.06%–0.30%; isovaleric acid 0.04%–0.20%; 4-methylvaleric acid 0.01%–0.40%; phenylacetic acid 0.005%–0.020%; 3-acetylpyridine 0.005%–0.030%; 2-acetylpyrrole 0.005%–0.030%; balance is solvent.

3. The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flue gas state adjustment module comprises, by mass percentage: 2.0%–5.0% neophytadiene; 3.0%–6.0% linolenic acid; 2.0%–4.0% linoleic acid; 2.0%–4.0% hexadecanoic acid; 0.2%–0.4% stearic acid; 0.6%–3.0% methyl linoleate and / or ethyl linoleate; 0.6%–3.0% methyl linoleate and / or ethyl linoleate; 0.8%–4.0% methyl hexadecanoate and / or ethyl hexadecanoate; 0.2%–1.0% methyl stearate and / or ethyl stearate; the balance being solvent.

4. The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The strength adjustment module comprises, by mass percentage: nicotine 1.0%–8.0%; lactic acid 0.5%–3.0%; citric acid 0.5%–3.0%; with the remainder being solvent.

5. The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The solvent is propylene glycol or a propylene glycol-glycerol mixture, and the mass percentage of glycerol in the propylene glycol-glycerol mixture is not higher than 50%.

6. The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, By weight, the ratio of the aroma component module, the smoke state adjustment module, and the strength adjustment module is 1:(0.6-1.0):(0.7-1.0).

7. The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring does not contain natural tobacco essential oil or natural plant extracts.

8. A method for preparing the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Weigh out each component from the aroma component module, the smoke state adjustment module, and the strength adjustment module according to the formula, and add them to the corresponding solvents respectively. Stir and dissolve to obtain the aroma component module mother liquor, the smoke state adjustment module mother liquor, and the strength adjustment module mother liquor. S2. Weigh the aroma component module mother liquor, the smoke state adjustment module mother liquor, and the strength adjustment module mother liquor according to the weight ratio of 1:(0.5~1.5):(0.1~1.0); S3. Mix the three types of module mother liquor weighed in step S2 and stir for 10 to 60 minutes at a temperature not exceeding 35°C to obtain tobacco essential oil substitute flavor base. The stirring speed is 100 rpm to 300 rpm.

9. The application of the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base according to any one of claims 1 to 8 or the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 9 to 10 in the flavoring of cigarettes.

10. The application according to claim 11, characterized in that, The tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is used for flavoring tobacco shreds, filters, or flavoring capsules. When used for flavoring tobacco shreds, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is diluted with an ethanol solution and then applied to the tobacco shreds. The amount of the original tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base relative to the tobacco shreds is 0.001% to 0.05%. When used for flavoring filters, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is diluted with triacetin to a mass concentration of 0.1% to 5.0% and applied to the filter through flavoring thread, filter rod, or filter tip loading. When used for flavoring capsules, the tobacco essential oil substitute flavoring base is diluted with caprylic / capric triglyceride to a mass concentration of 0.05% to 2.5% and filled into the flavor capsule of the cigarette filter.

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