Tobacco materials, their manufacturing methods, and tobacco products

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a tobacco material in which there is limited occurrence of pieces of the tobacco material sticking together. The present invention solves this problem by means of a tobacco material in which the total protein content per 100 mg of the material, in terms of dry weight, is no higher than 5 mg.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to tobacco materials, a method for manufacturing the same, and tobacco products.

Background Art

[0002] There are various types of tobacco materials used in tobacco products such as cigarettes (rolled tobacco), non-combustion heated tobacco, electronic cigarettes, or smokeless tobacco. In addition to the main function of releasing desired components contained in tobacco leaves as raw materials, various functions are required for tobacco materials, and the development of tobacco materials having desired functions and a method for manufacturing the same has been carried out.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a manufacturing method for obtaining a tobacco material that can enhance the swelling property of tobacco leaves and change the flavor by including a step of heating a tobacco leaf raw material having a water content within a specific range at a specific temperature range. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a tobacco material that can impart a uniform flavor by including tobacco leaf particles having an average particle size within a specific range and a dispersion medium for dispersing the particles. In addition, Patent Document 3 discloses a sheet-shaped tobacco material. After extracting a tobacco raw material with water and separating it into an aqueous tobacco extract and an insoluble tobacco residue, adding pulp to the insoluble tobacco residue to form a base sheet, and then adding the aqueous tobacco extract to the base sheet, a manufacturing method for a reconstituted tobacco sheet having high mechanical strength and capable of sufficiently ensuring the content of an aerosol-forming agent is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

[0005] Tobacco materials are required to have a variety of functions, one of which is the prevention of sticking of tobacco material to itself. When tobacco material sticks to itself, the surface area of the entire tobacco material decreases, which can lead to problems such as a decrease in the amount of desired components released from the surface of the tobacco material, increased labor and costs required for storing the tobacco material, and difficulty in ensuring flow paths for gas and liquid around the tobacco material. Therefore, while preventing tobacco material from sticking to itself would be beneficial for users, little research has been done to achieve this, leaving room for improvement. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide tobacco materials in which adhesion of tobacco materials to each other is suppressed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] After extensive research, the inventors discovered that proteins contained in tobacco materials cause sticking, and that the above problem can be solved by keeping the content of these components below a specific value, thereby arriving at the present invention.

[0007] That is, the present invention is as follows. [1] Tobacco material containing 5 mg or less of total protein per 100 mg of dry weight. [2] The tobacco material according to [1], wherein the total protein content per 100 mg of dry weight is 3 mg or less. [3] The tobacco material according to [2], wherein the total protein content per 100 mg of dry weight is less than 2 mg. [4] The tobacco material according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the total starch content per 100 mg of dry weight is less than 1.8 mg. [5] The tobacco material according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the total content of total protein and total starch per 100 mg on a dry weight basis is 7 mg or less. [6] A tobacco material wherein the content of total protein is 5% by weight or less on a dry weight basis. [7] The tobacco material according to [6], wherein the content of total starch is less than 1.8% by weight on a dry weight basis. [8] The tobacco material according to [6] or [7], wherein the total content of total protein and total starch is 7% by weight or less on a dry weight basis. [9] The tobacco material according to any one of [6] to [8], wherein the content of total protein is 3% by weight or less on a dry weight basis.

[10] The tobacco material according to any one of [1] to [9], wherein the content of components having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less is 20% by weight or more.

[11] The tobacco material according to

[10] , wherein the content of components having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less is 30% by weight or more.

[12] The tobacco material according to

[11] , wherein the content of components having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less is 40% by weight or more.

[13] The tobacco material according to any one of [1] to

[12] , wherein the content of raw tobacco per 100 mg on a dry weight basis is 6 mg or more.

[14] The tobacco material according to any one of [1] to

[13] , wherein water is used as a solvent, and the turbidity of the extract obtained by extraction under the conditions of a heating temperature of 80°C and a heating time of 30 minutes is 80 NTU or less.

[15] A tobacco product comprising the tobacco material according to any one of [1] to

[14] .

[16] The tobacco product according to

[15] , which is a cigarette, a non-combustion heated tobacco, an e-cigarette, or a smokeless tobacco.

[17] An extraction step of extracting raw tobacco, A filtration step of filtering the extract obtained in the extraction step to obtain a filtrate, and A processing step of contacting the filtrate with the residue obtained in the extraction step and then forming the residue to obtain a formed body, or contacting the formed body with the filtrate after forming the residue obtained in the extraction step to obtain a formed body, and A method for producing a tobacco material, wherein the average pore size of the filtration membrane in the filtration step is 10,000 Da or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide tobacco materials in which adhesion of tobacco materials to each other is suppressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention, but these descriptions are examples (typical examples) of the embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as it does not deviate from the gist of the invention. In this specification, a numerical range expressed using "to" means a range that includes the numerical values written before and after "to" as the lower and upper limits, and "A to B" means A or more and B or less.

[0010] <Tobacco material composition> A tobacco material according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as "tobacco material") is a tobacco material having a total protein content of 5 mg or less per 100 mg of dry weight. The inventors have found that tobacco leaves, which are the raw material for tobacco material, contain proteins, and that these components cause sticking. Therefore, the above tobacco material can alleviate problems that can arise from sticking of tobacco material to itself, such as a reduction in the overall surface area of the tobacco material, a decrease in the amount of desired components released from the surface of the tobacco material, increased labor and costs during storage of the tobacco material, and difficulty in ensuring flow paths for gas and liquid around the tobacco material. Unless otherwise specified, the term "dry weight" in this specification is not particularly limited as long as it is a weight measured when the object to be evaluated is dry, and may be, for example, the weight after the object to be evaluated is kept at 80 to 120°C for 1 to 5 hours.

[0011] The form of the tobacco material is not particularly limited, and may consist solely of tobacco leaf-derived material such as the lamina, stems, or roots of tobacco leaves (hereinafter also referred to as "raw tobacco material"), or may be a combination of the raw tobacco material with other components. The tobacco material may be processed products such as tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, or tobacco granules, but is preferably a tobacco sheet in order to ensure sufficient effectiveness in preventing the tobacco materials from sticking together.

[0012] In tobacco materials, the total protein content per 100 mg of dry weight is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of sufficiently ensuring the effect of inhibiting sticking of tobacco materials to each other, it is usually 5 mg or less, preferably 4 mg or less, more preferably 3 mg or less, and even more preferably 2 mg or less. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of inhibiting sticking of tobacco materials to each other, a lower total protein content is preferable, so there is no need to set a lower limit for the content; it can be 0 mg (below the detection limit), but it can also be contained within a range that obtains the effects of the present invention, for example, 0.02 mg or more. Note that raw tobacco used as a raw material for tobacco materials usually contains RuBisCo (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase) as the main protein.

[0013] The total protein content per 100 mg of the above dry weight can be assessed using the TaKaRa BCA Protein Assay Kit. The bicinchoninic acid (BCA) reagent used in this kit is a reagent that performs high sensitivity colorimetric determination of protein solutions, and can also quantify protein solutions solubilized with surfactants. The principle of protein quantification by BCA is based on a two-step reaction. In the first step, the peptide bonds in the protein solution are converted into divalent copper ions (Cu 2+ ) is monovalent copper ion (Cu + ) is reduced to Cu 2+The amount is proportional to the amount of protein contained in the solution. In the second step, two molecules of BCA coordinate with Cu + to form a blue-violet complex that shows strong absorption at 562 nm. By measuring this with a spectrophotometer, colorimetric quantification becomes possible. Although the method for collecting the portion to be measured from the tobacco material is not particularly limited, the amount of 100 mg to be measured may be evenly collected from multiple locations throughout the tobacco material, and the average value of the total amount of protein in them may be evaluated. The number of collections should be 10 or more.

[0014] From the viewpoint of further obtaining the effect of suppressing sticking between tobacco materials, it is preferable that the amount of starch is also small as a component other than protein. In the tobacco material, the content of the total amount of starch per 100 mg in dry weight is not particularly limited. However, from the viewpoint of sufficiently ensuring the effect of suppressing sticking between tobacco materials, it is usually less than 1.8 mg, preferably 1.5 mg or less, more preferably 1.2 mg or less, and even more preferably 1.0 mg or less. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of suppressing sticking between tobacco materials, since it is preferable that the total amount of starch is small, it is not necessary to set a lower limit for the content, and it may be 0 mg (below the detection limit), but it may also be included within the range where the effects of the present invention can be obtained. For example, it may be 0.5 mg or more. In this specification, "total amount of starch" is also simply referred to as "starch".

[0015] The total starch content per 100 mg of dry weight can be determined using F-kit starch (JK International). Starch is hydrolyzed at pH 4.6 in the presence of the enzyme amyloglucosidase (AGS) to produce D-glucose. The D-glucose produced is quantified at pH 7.6 using hexokinase (HK) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH). D-glucose is phosphorylated to starch 6-phosphate (G-6-P) by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in the presence of hexokinase (HK), along with the production of adenosine diphosphate (ADP). G-6-P is then oxidized by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) in the presence of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6P-DH) to produce D-gluconate-6-phosphate and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). The amount of NADPH produced in this reaction is stoichiometrically equal to the amount of D-glucose produced by starch hydrolysis, and the increase in NADPH can be assessed by measuring the absorbance at 334 nm, 340 nm, or 365 nm. There are no particular restrictions on the method for collecting the portions of the tobacco material to be measured, but it is sufficient to collect 100 mg of the portion to be measured at multiple locations evenly distributed throughout the tobacco material and evaluate the average starch content of the total amount, with 10 or more samples being collected.

[0016] In tobacco materials, the total content of total protein and total starch per 100 mg of dry weight is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of sufficiently ensuring the effect of inhibiting sticking between tobacco materials, it is usually 7 mg or less, preferably 5 mg or less, more preferably 1 mg or less, even more preferably 0.5 mg or less, and particularly preferably 0.2 mg or less. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of inhibiting sticking between tobacco materials, the above protein and starch are preferably low, so there is no need to set a lower limit for the total content, and it may be 0 mg (below the detection limit), but it may also be included within a range in which the effects of the present invention are obtained, for example, it may be 0.1 mg or more.

[0017] The total protein content in the tobacco material is not particularly limited from the viewpoint of ensuring a sufficient effect of inhibiting sticking of tobacco materials together, but is usually 5% by weight or less, preferably 4% by weight or less, more preferably 3% by weight or less, and even more preferably 2% by weight or less, on a dry weight basis. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of inhibiting sticking of tobacco materials together, a lower total protein content is preferable, so there is no need to set a lower limit for the content, and it may be 0% by weight (below the detection limit), but it may be contained within a range that obtains the effects of the present invention, for example, 0.02% by weight or more. The total starch content in the tobacco material is not particularly limited from the viewpoint of ensuring a sufficient effect of inhibiting sticking between tobacco materials, but is usually less than 1.8 wt % on a dry weight basis, preferably 1.5 wt % or less, more preferably 1.2 wt % or less, and even more preferably 1.0 wt % or less. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of inhibiting sticking between tobacco materials, a lower total starch content is preferable, so there is no need to set a lower limit for the content, and it may be 0 wt % (below the detection limit), but it may be contained within a range that obtains the effects of the present invention, for example, 0.5 wt % or more. From the viewpoint of sufficiently ensuring the effect of inhibiting sticking of tobacco materials to each other, the total content of total protein and total starch in the tobacco material is usually 7% by weight or less, preferably 5% by weight or less, more preferably 1% by weight or less, even more preferably 0.5% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 0.2% by weight or less, on a dry weight basis. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of obtaining the effect of inhibiting sticking of tobacco materials to each other, the above-mentioned protein and starch are preferably low, so there is no need to set a lower limit for the total content, and it may be 0% by weight (below the detection limit), but it may also be included within a range in which the effects of the present invention are obtained, for example, 0.1% by weight or more. The content (mg) of each component per 100 mg in terms of dry weight in the tobacco material may be evaluated by evenly collecting a 100 mg amount to be measured from multiple locations throughout the tobacco material and obtaining the average value of the total content of total protein and total starch in those amounts. The number of collections should be 10 or more. On the other hand, the content (% by weight) of each component in the tobacco material can be evaluated as described above. In addition, when evaluating the content (% by weight) of total protein or total starch in the tobacco material, the content of total protein and total starch can be evaluated in the same manner as the above-described evaluation method for each content (mg).

[0018] The method for reducing the content of total protein and total starch in the tobacco material is not particularly limited. For example, a method of extracting protein and starch from raw tobacco can be mentioned. However, when protein and starch are extracted, important components such as nicotine are also extracted together with these components. Therefore, usually, after filtering the extract to obtain a purified extract containing the desired components, this purified extract is applied back to the residue obtained by extraction. However, in normal filtration treatment, a treatment capable of removing very small components such as protein and starch is not performed. Therefore, in order to reduce the amounts of total protein and total starch to the ranges of the above-described respective contents by filtration treatment, it is necessary to perform filtration using a filtration membrane having a very small average pore size. Specific conditions of the filtration membrane and conditions of extraction and filtration will be described in the section on the manufacturing method of the tobacco material described later. In addition, as shown in the examples described later, the inventors have confirmed that even when filtration is performed using a filtration membrane having an average pore size of 10,000 Da, flavor components in the tobacco material mostly remain in the tobacco material.

[0019] Tobacco materials primarily contain raw tobacco, such as the lamina, stems, or roots of tobacco leaves. The amount of raw tobacco per 100 mg of dry weight of the tobacco material is not particularly limited, but is typically 6 mg or more, preferably 50 mg or more, more preferably 60 mg or more, and particularly preferably 70 mg or more. It is typically 95 mg or less, preferably 90 mg or less. The content of raw tobacco can be calculated from the amount charged.

[0020] The tobacco material may be composed solely of tobacco leaf-derived materials, but may also contain components other than tobacco leaf-derived materials depending on the application, and if it is a processed product, may contain a binder, etc. When the tobacco material is a processed product, examples of binders that can be used include carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, guar gum, and xanthan gum. The binder content in the tobacco material is not particularly limited, and is typically 0.1% by weight or more, preferably 1.0% by weight or more, and more preferably 10% by weight or more, and is typically 80% by weight or less, preferably 60% by weight or less, and more preferably 45% by weight or less.

[0021] When the tobacco material is used in tobacco products such as cigarettes, non-combustible heat-not-burn tobacco products, or electronic cigarettes, it can be used in the following forms, such as tobacco shreds, tobacco sheets, or tobacco granules. Note that the conditions for each form of the tobacco material below can also be applied to other forms to the extent applicable.

[0022] [Cut tobacco] First, we will explain the tobacco shreds. The material for the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina, stems, or roots can be used. Alternatively, the shredded tobacco may be produced by grinding dried tobacco leaves to an average particle size of 20 μm or more and 200 μm or less to produce tobacco grounds, which are then homogenized and processed into a sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as a homogenized sheet). Furthermore, the shredded tobacco may be a so-called strand type, in which a homogenized sheet having a length approximately the same as the longitudinal direction of a tobacco material receiving member such as a tobacco rod (hereinafter referred to as a "tobacco rod, etc.") is shredded approximately parallel to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod, etc., and then filled into the tobacco rod, etc. Furthermore, the width of the tobacco shreds is preferably 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less in order to fill a tobacco rod or the like.

[0023] Various types of tobacco can be used for the production of shredded tobacco and homogenized sheets. Examples include flue-cured tobacco, burley, oriental tobacco, native tobacco, other Nicotiana tabacum varieties, Nicotiana rustica varieties, and mixtures thereof. Mixtures can be created by blending the aforementioned varieties appropriately to achieve the desired flavor. Details of the tobacco varieties are disclosed in the "Encyclopedia of Tobacco," published by the Tobacco Research Center on March 31, 2009. There are several conventional methods for producing homogenized sheets, i.e., grinding tobacco leaves and processing them into homogenized sheets. The first method is to produce a paper-making sheet using a papermaking process. The second method involves mixing a suitable solvent, such as water, with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, then casting a thin layer of the homogenized material onto a metal plate or metal belt and drying it to produce a cast sheet. The third method involves mixing a suitable solvent, such as water, with ground tobacco leaves to homogenize them, and then extruding the mixture into a rolled sheet. The types of the homogenizing sheets are disclosed in detail in "Encyclopedia of Tobacco, Tobacco Research Center, March 31, 2009."

[0024] The water content of the tobacco material can be 10% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less, preferably 11% by weight or more and 13% by weight or less, based on the total amount of the tobacco material. With such a water content, the occurrence of winding is suppressed, and the winding-up suitability during the manufacture of a tobacco rod or the like into which the tobacco material is introduced is improved. Ta There are no particular restrictions on the size of the tobacco shreds contained in the tobacco material and the method for preparing the same. For example, dried tobacco leaves cut to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less may be used. When using the pulverized product of the homogenized sheet, dried tobacco leaves may be pulverized and homogenized so that the average particle size is about 20 to 200 μm, then processed into a sheet, and the sheet cut to a width of 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less may be used.

[0025] The tobacco shreds may contain an aerosol substrate for generating aerosol smoke. The type of the aerosol substrate is not particularly limited, and extract substances from various natural products and / or their constituent components can be selected according to the application. Examples of the aerosol substrate include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3 - butanediol, or a mixture thereof. The content of the aerosol substrate in the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited. From the viewpoint of sufficiently generating aerosol and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, based on the total amount of the tobacco material, and is usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less.

[0026] The tobacco flakes may contain a flavoring. The type of the flavoring is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting a good flavor, acetanisole, acetophenone, acetylpyrazine, 2-acetylthiazole, alfalfa extract, amyl alcohol, amyl butyrate, trans-anethole, star anise oil, apple juice, Peru balsam oil, beeswax absolute, benzaldehyde, benzoin resinoid, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl phenylacetate, benzyl propionate, 2,3-butanedione, 2-butanol, butyl butyrate, butyric acid, caramel, cardamom oil, carob absolute, β-carotene, carrot juice, L-carvone, β-caryophyllene, cassia bark oil, cedarwood oil, celery seed oil, chamomile oil, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamyl cinnamate, citronella oil, DL-citronellol, clary sage extract, cocoa, coffee, cognac oil, coriander oil, cumin aldehyde, davana oil, δ-decalactone, γ-decalactone, decanoic acid, dill herb oil, 3,4-dimethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione, 4,5-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2,5-dihydrofuran-2-one, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenoic acid, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl lactate, ethyl laurate, ethyl levulinate, ethyl maltol, ethyl octanoate, ethyl oleate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl phenylacetate, ethyl propionate, ethyl stearate, ethyl valerate, ethyl vanillin, ethyl vanillin glucoside, 2-ethyl-3,(5 or 6)-Dimethylpyrazine, 5-Ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5H)-furanone, 2-Ethyl-3-methylpyrazine, Eucalyptol, Fenugreek Absolute, Genoa Absolute, Gentian Root Infusion, Geraniol, Geranyl Acetate, Grape Juice, Guaiacol, Guava Extract, γ-Heptalactone, γ-Hexalactone, Hexanoic Acid, cis-3-Hexen-1-ol, Hexyl Acetate, Hexyl Alcohol, Hexyl Phenylacetate, Honey, 4-Hydroxy-3-pentenoic Acid Lactone, 4-Hydroxy-4-(3-hydroxy-1-butenyl)-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one, 4-(para-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone, Sodium 4-Hydroxyundecanoate, Immortelle Absolute, β-Ionone, Isoamyl Acetate, Isoamyl Butyrate, Isoamyl Phenylacetate, Isobutyl Acetate, Isobutyl Phenylacetate, Jasmine Absolute, Kola Nut Tincture, Labdanum Oil, Lemon Terpeneless Oil, Licorice Extract, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Lovage Root Oil, Maltol, Maple Syrup, Menthol, Menthone, L-Menthyl Acetate, para-Methoxybenzaldehyde, Methyl-2-pyrrolylketone, Methyl Anthranilate, Methyl Phenylacetate, Methyl Salicylate, 4’-Methylacetophenone, Methylcyclopentenolone, 3-Methylvaleric Acid, Mimosa Absolute, Honeydew, Myristic Acid, Nerol, Nerolidol, γ-Nonalactone, Nutmeg Oil, δ-Octalactone, Octanal, Octanoic Acid, Orange Flower Oil, Orange Oil, Orris Root Oil, Palmitic Acid, ω-Pentadecalactone, Peppermint Oil, Petitgrain Paraguay Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenethyl Phenylacetate, Phenylacetic Acid, Piperonal, Plum Extract, Propenyl Guethol, Propyl Acetate, 3-Propylidenephthalide, Prune Juice, Pyruvic Acid, Raisin Extract, Rose Oil, Rum, Sage Oil, Sandalwood Oil, Spearmint Oil, Styrax Absolute, Marigold Oil, Tea Distillate, α-Terpineol, Terpinyl Acetate, 5,6,7,8-Tetrahydroquinoxaline, 1,5,5,9-Tetramethyl-13-oxacyclo(8.3.0.0(4.9))tridecane, 2,3,5,6-tetramethylpyrazine, thyme oil, tomato extract, 2-tridecanone, triethyl citrate, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1-cyclohexenyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,6,6-trimethyl-2-cyclohexene-1,4-dione, 4-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1,3-cyclohexadienyl)-2-buten-4-one, 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, γ-undecalactone, γ-valerolactone, vanilla extract, vanillin, veratraldehyde, violet leaf absolute, N-ethyl-p-menthane-3-carboxamide (WS-3), or ethyl 2-(p-menthane-3-carboxamido)acetate (WS-5), etc. may be mentioned, and menthol is particularly preferred. Further, these fragrances may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.,

[0027] The content of the fragrance during tobacco shredding is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of imparting good flavor, it is usually 10,000 ppm or more, preferably 20,000 ppm or more, more preferably 25,000 ppm or more, based on the total amount of the tobacco material, and usually 70,000 ppm or less, preferably 50,000 ppm or less, more preferably 40,000 ppm or less, and still more preferably 33,000 ppm or less.,

[0028] The filling density of the tobacco shredding in a tobacco rod or the like for introducing tobacco shredding is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the tobacco product and imparting good flavor, it is usually 250 mg / cm 3 or more, preferably 300 mg / cm 3 or more, and usually 400 mg / cm 3 or less, preferably 350 mg / cm 3 or less., The form of the tobacco rod is not particularly restricted, and it can be formed by winding a wrapper paper so that the tobacco material is inside. This can be similarly applied to the following forms of tobacco sheet and tobacco granules.,

[0029] [Tobacco Sheet] A tobacco sheet is made of a tobacco material in the form of a sheet. The number of tobacco sheets introduced into a tobacco material receiving member such as a tobacco rod (hereinafter referred to as a "tobacco rod, etc.") may be one or more.

[0030] In the case where the tobacco sheet is composed of a single sheet, for example, a tobacco sheet having one side with a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod, etc., is packed in a state where it is folded back multiple times horizontally to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod, etc. (a so-called gathered sheet) or a tobacco sheet having one side with a length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod, etc., is packed in a state where it is wound in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod, etc.

[0031] In a case where the tobacco sheet is composed of two or more tobacco sheets, for example, multiple tobacco sheets, each having a side length approximately equal to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod or the like, are packed in a state where they are wound in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tobacco rod or the like so as to be arranged concentrically. "Concentrically arranged" means that the centers of all the tobacco sheets are arranged at approximately the same position. The number of tobacco sheets is not particularly limited, but examples include two, three, four, five, six, or seven sheets. Two or more tobacco sheets may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. Furthermore, the thicknesses of the tobacco sheets may be the same or different.

[0032] Tobacco sheets can be produced by preparing a plurality of tobacco sheets of different widths, stacking them so that the width decreases from the bottom to the top, and passing this through a rolling tube to roll and form it. According to this manufacturing method, the plurality of tobacco sheets will extend in the longitudinal direction and will be arranged concentrically about the longitudinal axis. Further, a fitting portion extending in the longitudinal direction may be formed between the longitudinal axis and the innermost tobacco sheet.

[0033] In this manufacturing method, it is preferable that the laminate is prepared such that a non-contact portion is formed between the adjacent tobacco sheets after winding and forming. If there is a non-contact portion (gap) where the tobacco sheets do not contact each other between the plurality of tobacco sheets, a flavor flow path can be secured and the delivery efficiency of flavor components can be enhanced. On the other hand, since heat from the heater can be transmitted to the outer tobacco sheet through the contact portions of the plurality of tobacco sheets, high heat transfer efficiency can be ensured. In order to provide a non-contact portion where the tobacco sheets do not contact each other between the plurality of tobacco sheets, for example, using embossed tobacco sheets, laminating without adhering the entire surfaces of adjacent tobacco sheets, laminating by adhering a part of adjacent tobacco sheets, or preparing a laminate by lightly adhering the entire surface or a part of adjacent tobacco sheets so as to be peeled off after winding and forming can be mentioned. When preparing a tobacco rod or the like including cigarette paper, the above cigarette paper may be disposed at the bottommost part of the laminate. Further, after placing a cylindrical dummy such as a mandrel on the topmost part of the laminate to form a tobacco sheet and then removing the dummy, a fitting portion can also be formed.

[0034] The filling density of the tobacco sheet in a tobacco rod or the like into which the tobacco sheet is introduced is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of ensuring the performance of the tobacco product and imparting a good flavor, it is usually 250 mg / cm 3 or more, preferably 300 mg / cm 3 or more, and also usually 400 mg / cm 3 or less, preferably 350 mg / cm 3 or less.

[0035] The tobacco sheet may contain an aerosol base material that generates aerosol smoke upon heating. An aerosol source such as a polyol such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or 1,3 - butanediol is added as the aerosol base material. The addition amount of such an aerosol base material is preferably 5% by weight or more and 50% by weight or less, more preferably 15% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less, based on the dry weight of the tobacco sheet.

[0036] The tobacco sheet can be appropriately manufactured by known methods such as papermaking, slurry, or rolling. Note that the homogenized sheet described in the section on tobacco shredding above can also be used. In the case of the papermaking method, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps. 1) Coarsely crush the dried tobacco leaves, extract with water, and separate into a water extract and a residue. 2) Concentrate the water extract by drying under reduced pressure. 3) Add pulp to the residue, fiberize with a refiner, and then make paper. 4) Add the concentrated solution of the water extract to the paper sheet and dry to obtain a tobacco sheet. In this case, a step of removing some components such as nitrosoamines may be added (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004 - 510422). In the case of the slurry method, it can be manufactured by a method including the following steps. 1) Mix water, pulp, a binder, and crushed tobacco leaves. 2) Spread the mixture thinly (cast) and dry. In this case, a step of removing some components such as nitrosoamines by irradiating the slurry of the mixture of water, pulp, a binder, and crushed tobacco leaves with ultraviolet rays or X - rays may be added.

[0037] In addition, as described in International Publication No. 2014 / 104078, a non - woven tobacco sheet manufactured by a method including the following steps can also be used. 1) Mix granular tobacco leaves and a binder. 2) Sandwich the mixture with a non - woven fabric. 3) Mold the laminate into a certain shape by heat welding to obtain a non - woven tobacco sheet. The type of tobacco leaves as the raw material used in each of the above methods can be the same as those described in the section on tobacco shredding above. The tobacco sheet is not particularly limited in composition, but preferably contains tobacco raw materials (tobacco leaves) in an amount of 50% by weight or more and 95% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may also contain a binder, and examples of such binders include those mentioned above, such as guar gum, xanthan gum, CMC (carboxymethylcellulose), and CMC-Na (sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose). The amount of binder is preferably 1% by weight or more and 10% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the tobacco sheet. The tobacco sheet may also contain other additives. Examples of such additives include fillers such as pulp. In this embodiment, multiple tobacco sheets are used, and these may all have the same composition or physical properties, or some or all of the tobacco sheets may have different compositions or physical properties. The thickness of each tobacco sheet is not limited, but is preferably 150 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, and more preferably 200 μm or more and 600 μm or less, in consideration of the balance between heat transfer efficiency and strength. The thickness of each tobacco sheet may be the same or different.

[0038] [Tobacco granules] The raw materials for the tobacco granules are not particularly limited, but may include (a) ground tobacco leaves or other tobacco material, (b) water, (c) at least one pH adjuster selected from the group consisting of potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, and (d) at least one binder selected from the group consisting of pullulan and hydroxypropyl cellulose.

[0039] The ground tobacco leaf or ground tobacco material according to another embodiment (component (a)) contained in the tobacco granules includes ground tobacco leaf, ground tobacco sheet, etc. The type of tobacco may be Burley, flue-cured, or Oriental, etc. The tobacco material is preferably ground to a size of 200 μm or more and 300 μm or less. The raw mixture of tobacco granules typically contains ground tobacco material in an amount of 20% by weight or more and 80% by weight or less.

[0040] The moisture (component (b)) contained in the tobacco granules is intended to maintain the integrity of the tobacco granules. The raw material mixture for tobacco granules typically contains moisture in an amount of 3% by weight or more and 13% by weight or less. Furthermore, tobacco granules may typically contain moisture in an amount such that the loss on drying is 5% by weight or more and 17% by weight or less. Loss on drying refers to the change in weight before and after drying when a portion of a sample is taken for measurement and the sample is completely dried by evaporating all of the moisture in the sample (for example, by drying at a constant temperature (105°C) for 15 minutes). Specifically, loss on drying refers to the ratio (wt%) of the combined amount of the moisture contained in the sample and the amount of volatile components that volatilize under the drying conditions to the sample weight. In other words, loss on drying (wt%) can be expressed by the following formula: Loss on drying (wt%) = {(weight of sample before complete drying) - (weight of sample after complete drying)} x 100 / weight of sample before complete drying

[0041] The pH adjuster (component (c)) contained in the tobacco granules is potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or a mixture thereof. These pH adjusters adjust the pH of the tobacco granules to the alkaline side, thereby promoting the release of flavor components contained in the tobacco granules from the tobacco granules and resulting in a flavor that is satisfactory to users. The raw material mixture of tobacco granules may contain a pH adjuster, typically in an amount of 5% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less.

[0042] The binder (component (d)) contained in the tobacco granules binds the tobacco granule components together to maintain the integrity of the tobacco granules. The binder may be one of those described above, and may be composed of pullulan, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), or a mixture thereof. The raw mixture of tobacco granules may contain a binder, typically in an amount of at least 0.5% by weight and at most 15% by weight.

[0043] The tobacco granules can consist of the above components (a), (b), (c) and (d), but can further include additional components. Examples of the additional component include an aerosol base material (component (e)). The aerosol base material generates aerosol smoke. The aerosol base material is composed of a polyhydric alcohol, and the polyhydric alcohol may include glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbitol, xylitol or erythritol. These polyhydric alcohols can be used alone or in combination of two or more. When the raw material mixture of the tobacco granules contains an aerosol base material, it can be contained in an amount of 5% by weight or more and 15% by weight or less. Examples of the additional component also include flavoring materials (solid or liquid) other than the flavor component (f). Such flavoring materials include sugar (such as sucrose or fructose), cocoa powder, carob powder, coriander powder, licorice powder, orange peel powder, rosehip powder, chamomile flower powder, lemon verbena powder, peppermint powder, leaf powder, spearmint powder, black tea powder, or menthol, etc. These flavoring materials can be used alone or in combination of two or more. The raw material mixture of the tobacco granules can usually contain the above flavoring materials in an amount of 0.5% by weight or more and 30% by weight or less. The above flavoring materials may be added to the above components by directly kneading with components (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), or alternatively, after preparing an inclusion compound by loading it on a known inclusion host compound such as cyclodextrin and then kneading it with the above components to add it to the above components. When the tobacco granules consist of the above components (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), the raw material mixture of the tobacco granules can usually contain component (a) in an amount of about 33% by weight or more (about 90% by weight or less).

[0044] The tobacco granules are obtained by mixing components (a), (c), and (d), and optionally components (e) and (f), adding component (b) to the mixture and kneading, granulating (into long columnar shapes) the obtained kneaded product with a wet extrusion granulator, and then sizing into short columnar or spherical shapes. The average particle size (D50) of the obtained tobacco granules is usually 0.2 mm or more and 1.2 mm or less, preferably 0.2 mm or more and 1.0 mm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm or more and 0.8 mm or less. In extrusion granulation, it is preferable to extrude the kneaded product at a pressure of 2 kN or more at ambient temperature. Due to this extrusion at high pressure, the temperature of the kneaded product at the outlet of the extrusion granulator instantaneously rises sharply from ambient temperature to, for example, 90°C to 100°C, and 2% by weight or more and 4% by weight or less of water and volatile components evaporate. Therefore, the water used for formulating the kneaded product can be used in an amount that is more than the desired moisture content in the tobacco granules by the above evaporation amount.

[0045] The tobacco granules obtained by extrusion granulation may be further dried as necessary for moisture adjustment. For example, if the loss on drying of the tobacco granules obtained by extrusion granulation is measured and it is higher than the desired loss on drying (for example, 5% by weight or more and 17% by weight or less), the tobacco granules may be further dried to obtain the desired loss on drying. The drying conditions (temperature and time) for obtaining the desired loss on drying can be determined in advance as the drying conditions (temperature and time) necessary to reduce the loss on drying by a predetermined value, and set based on those conditions.

[0046] The tobacco granules can consist only of the above tobacco granules, but in addition, they can further contain additional tobacco materials. The additional tobacco materials are usually shreds or fine powders of tobacco leaves. The additional tobacco materials can be used by mixing with the tobacco granules.

[0047] When the tobacco material is used in a tobacco product such as smokeless tobacco, examples include tobacco powder obtained by pulverizing tobacco leaves. Tobacco powder may include shredded dried tobacco leaf lamina, fine powder, fibers, etc. In this specification, tobacco leaves may include mesophyll (lamina), leaf veins (stems), roots, etc. The tobacco filler may include elements derived from the midrib or roots of tobacco leaves in addition to tobacco powder, which is basically obtained from the lamina of tobacco leaves. There are no particular restrictions on the particle size of the tobacco powder, but from the standpoint of improving compatibility in the oral cavity and enhancing the feeling of use, and from the standpoint of improving the release of flavor components contained in the tobacco powder into the oral cavity, it is preferable that the powder has passed through a 1.2 mm mesh, and more preferably has passed through a 1.0 mm mesh. The tobacco species used as the raw material for tobacco powder is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include the genus Nicotiana, such as the flue-cured Nicotiana tabacum, the Burley variety, or the Brasilia variety of Nicotiana rustica.

[0048] Since the molecular weight of most polymers contained in tobacco leaves (particularly proteins and starches) typically exceeds 10,000, the greater the amount of components with a molecular weight below this level, the more the tobacco material is prevented from sticking together. There are no particular restrictions on the content of components with a molecular weight of 10,000 or less in the tobacco material, but it is typically 10% by weight or more, preferably 20% by weight or more, more preferably 30% by weight or more, even more preferably 40% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 50% by weight or more, and is typically 90% by weight or less, and may be 80% by weight or less, or may be 60% by weight or less. The above molecular weight can be measured by electrophoresis or HPLC.

[0049] The higher the content of polymers (especially proteins and starches) in the extract obtained by extracting tobacco materials, the lower the turbidity of the extract. Therefore, the turbidity of the extract obtained by performing extraction under the conditions of using water as a solvent, a heating temperature of 80°C, and a heating time of 30 minutes is preferably 200 NTU or less, more preferably 80 NTU or less, even more preferably 20 NTU or less, particularly preferably 10 NTU or less. Although there is no particular need to set an upper limit, it is usually 2 NTU or more, and may be 5 NTU or more. As the turbidity described above, the value measured with a portable turbidimeter CT100 manufactured by Sem Corporation can be adopted.

[0050] <Method for manufacturing tobacco material> The method for manufacturing the tobacco material described above is not particularly limited, and for example, it can be manufactured by the manufacturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention described below. A method for manufacturing a tobacco material, which is another embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "method for manufacturing a tobacco material"), includes an extraction step of extracting raw tobacco, a filtration step of filtering the extract obtained in the extraction step to obtain a filtrate, and a processing step of contacting the filtrate with the residue obtained in the extraction step and then molding the residue to obtain a molded body, or contacting the filtrate with the molded body after molding the residue obtained in the extraction step to obtain a molded body, and a method for manufacturing a tobacco material, wherein the average pore size of the filter membrane in the filtration step is 10,000 Da or less.

[0051] [Extraction step] The method for manufacturing a tobacco material according to the present embodiment includes an extraction step of extracting raw tobacco to obtain an extract. The extraction method is not particularly limited, and a known method can be adopted. Examples include a process of immersing raw tobacco in a solvent and then heating to obtain an extract. The type of solvent that can be used for the above extraction is not particularly limited as long as it can dissolve proteins (preferably proteins and starch), and may be an organic solvent or an inorganic solvent, such as water, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, or ethanol. From the viewpoints of safety, cost, and availability, water is preferred. The heating temperature during extraction is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 1°C or higher, preferably 5°C or higher, more preferably 20°C or higher, and even more preferably 40°C or higher, and may be 95°C or lower, preferably 90°C or lower, more preferably 80°C or lower, and even more preferably 70°C or lower. The heating time for extraction is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 20 minutes or more, preferably 30 minutes or more, more preferably 1 hour or more, even more preferably 1.5 hours or more, and may be 3 hours or less, even more preferably 2 hours or less.

[0052] [Filtration process] The method for producing a tobacco material according to this embodiment includes a filtration step of filtering the extract obtained in the extraction step to obtain a filtrate. In order to reduce the total protein content (preferably total protein and total starch) in a tobacco material to the above-mentioned range by filtration, it is necessary to perform the filtration using a filtration membrane with a very small average pore size. Specifically, the average pore size of the filtration membrane is 10,000 Da or less, and from the viewpoint of further reducing the total protein content (preferably total protein and total starch), it is preferably 5,000 Da or less, and particularly preferably 2,000 Da or less. There is no particular need to set a lower limit, and it may be 100 Da or more, or 500 Da or more. The mode of filtration is not particularly limited, and a general filtration process can be applied. However, from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of filtration, it is preferable to employ cross-flow filtration, and it is more preferable to use a dialysis process such as electrodialysis in combination.

[0053] The above filtration method is not particularly limited as long as a filtration membrane having the above average pore size is used, and a known method can be adopted. The material of the filtration membrane is not particularly limited, but usually includes polyester, polypropylene, polysulfone, hydrophilic polysulfone, polyethersulfone, or fluororesin. The thickness of the filtration membrane is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoints of preventing clogging and improving filtration efficiency, it is usually 0.5 μm or more, preferably 1.0 μm or more, more preferably 1.5 μm or more, still more preferably 2.0 μm or more, particularly preferably 2.5 μm or more, and the upper limit may be, for example, 1 mm or less. The temperature of the extract during filtration is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoints of preventing clogging and improving filtration efficiency, it is usually 15°C or more, preferably 20°C or more, more preferably 30°C or more, particularly preferably 45°C or more, and usually 95°C or less, preferably 90°C or less, more preferably 80°C or less, particularly preferably 70°C or less.

[0054] When filtration using the above filtration membrane is not performed, an extract turbid due to suspended substances is obtained after solid-liquid separation. These suspended solids are insoluble substances with a particle size of 2 mm or less and are a colloidal component group composed of fine powder of raw tobacco, protein, and starch. These suspended solids may cause coking at the liquid contact heating part of the concentrator during heat concentration, for example, when centrifugal thin film concentration or the like is performed as a concentration treatment other than the above filtration, and may also cause an increase in the viscosity of the extract. The main protein contained in raw tobacco is RuBisCo (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase), which is one of the elements related to metabolism. RuBisCo is mainly biosynthesized during the process of tobacco leaf development. fermentation RuBisCo is one of the elements related to metabolism. RuBisCo is mainly biosynthesized during the process of tobacco leaf development. After reaching approximately 60% of the maximum amount on the 15th day of growth with respect to the total protein contained in the extract of this leaf, it exists in an amount of approximately 20%. Also, RuBisCo is a hexadecamer consisting of 8 large subunits with a molecular weight of approximately 53,000 and 8 small subunits with a molecular weight of approximately 12,000. And RuBisCo is eluted into the extract from tobacco leaves and contributes to an increase in viscosity during concentration and drying. Also, the molecular weight of starch is generally said to be 50,000 - 360,000 and it is one of the main viscous components in the extract.

[0055] The content of the total protein in the filtrate subjected to filtration is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of finally being able to suppress the sticking of the obtained tobacco materials, when the content of the total protein in the extract before filtration is taken as 100% by weight, the content of the total protein in the extract after filtration is usually 80% by weight or less, preferably 70% by weight or less, more preferably 50% by weight or less, still more preferably 10% by weight or less. Also, although there is no particular need to set a lower limit, it is usually 0.5% by weight or more, may be 5% by weight or more, or may be 8% by weight or more. The content of the above total protein can be evaluated by the following method. First, 20 μL each of a BSA standard solution, the extract before filtration, and the extract after filtration are dispensed, 1 mL of Bradford Dye Reagent is added and mixed, and the reaction is carried out at room temperature of 25 °C for 5 minutes. Then, from the absorbance at 595 nm (absorbance derived from BSA protein) of each solution after the reaction, the content of the total protein before and after filtration is evaluated.

[0056] The total starch content in the filtrate subjected to filtration is not particularly limited, but from the perspective of preventing the final tobacco material from sticking together, if the total starch content in the extract before filtration is taken as 100% by weight, the total starch content in the extract after filtration is typically 80% by weight or less, preferably 70% by weight or less, more preferably 60% by weight or less, and even more preferably 50% by weight or less, and although there is no particular need to set a lower limit, it is typically 15% by weight or more, and may be 30% by weight or more, or 50% by weight or more. The total starch content can be evaluated using the same method as the above-mentioned method for evaluating the total starch content using F-kit starch manufactured by JK International.

[0057] As mentioned above, the more polymers (particularly proteins and starches) contained in the extract, the lower the turbidity of the extract. Therefore, when the turbidity of the extract before filtration is taken as 1, the turbidity reduction rate of the filtrate ((turbidity of extract before filtration - turbidity of extract after filtration) x 100 / turbidity of extract before filtration) is preferably 50% or more, more preferably 70% or more, even more preferably 80% or more, particularly preferably 90% or more, and may be 100% or less. There is no particular need to set an upper limit for the turbidity of the extract after filtration, but it is usually 40% or less, and may be 30% or less, or 20% or less. The turbidity reduction rate can be considered as the removal rate of suspended matter in the extract. The turbidity can be measured by the same method as the above-mentioned method for measuring the turbidity of the tobacco material extract.

[0058] [Processing process] The method for producing tobacco material according to this embodiment includes a processing step in which the filtrate is brought into contact with the residue obtained in the extraction step and then the residue is molded to obtain a molded body, or the residue obtained in the extraction step is molded to obtain a molded body and then the filtrate is brought into contact with the molded body. The method for bringing the filtrate into contact with the residue is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method in which the residue is immersed in the filtrate, or a method in which the filtrate is sprayed onto the residue. The method for shaping the residue is not particularly limited, and can be shaped by a known method, for example, into the above-mentioned shapes of tobacco shreds, tobacco sheet, tobacco granules, etc. Furthermore, the method for bringing the filtrate into contact with the shaped body is not particularly limited, and examples include a method of immersing the shaped body in the filtrate, or a method of spraying the filtrate onto the shaped body.

[0059] The filtered filtrate penetrates the residue more easily than the unfiltered extract due to the reduced amount of thickening proteins (particularly proteins and starches). The dry matter penetration ratio, expressed as ((weight of tobacco material after permeation and drying - weight of residue before permeation / weight of molded body) x 100 / weight of raw tobacco), is preferably 60% or more, more preferably 75% or more, even more preferably 80% or more, and particularly preferably 90% or more.In addition, although there is no particular need to set an upper limit, it is usually 100% or less.

[0060] The method for producing a tobacco material according to this embodiment may include steps other than the extraction step, filtration step, and processing step described above. In another embodiment, instead of the filtration step, a step of cooling to precipitate and remove suspended solids or adsorbing polymers may be included.

[0061] <Uses of tobacco materials> The uses of the tobacco material described above are not particularly limited, and it can be used in various tobacco products. Another embodiment of the tobacco product of the present invention is a tobacco product containing the tobacco material described above. Specific examples of the tobacco product include cigarettes, non-combustion heated tobacco products, electronic cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. Non-combustion heated tobacco products and electronic cigarettes are so-called cartridges that are housed in non-combustion heated tobacco products and electronic cigarette products, respectively. The usage mode of tobacco materials in cigarettes, non-combustible heated tobacco products, or electronic cigarettes is not particularly restricted, and they can be used as substitutes for the tobacco materials used in these tobacco products. For example, in these tobacco products equipped with members such as a tobacco rod member for introducing tobacco materials, the above-mentioned tobacco materials can be introduced into and used with such members. In this case, the above-mentioned tobacco products can be represented as cigarettes, non-combustible heated tobacco products, or electronic cigarettes that include at least a tobacco material introduction member such as a tobacco rod member, and the tobacco material introduction member has the above-mentioned tobacco materials. Further, when not only the tobacco rod member but also a filter member or a member for introducing a mainly liquid aerosol base material is provided, the above-mentioned tobacco materials may be introduced into these members by addition or the like. A non-combustible heated tobacco product, which is another embodiment of the present invention, is an electrically heated tobacco product composed of an electric heating type device including a heater member, a battery unit serving as a power source for the heater member, and a control unit for controlling the heater member, and the above-mentioned non-combustible heated tobacco inserted so as to be in contact with the heater member. The usage mode of tobacco materials in smokeless tobacco is not particularly restricted, and they can be used as substitutes for the tobacco materials used in smokeless tobacco such as oral tobacco pouch products in which tobacco materials are enclosed in a pouch, chewing tobacco, or twist tobacco. These smokeless tobaccos are inserted between the lips and gums in the oral cavity to enjoy the taste and aroma. For example, in the case of an oral pouch product, in an oral pouch product having an oral composition containing tobacco materials and a pouch made of a non-woven fabric or the like for packaging the oral composition, the above-mentioned tobacco materials can be composition introduced into and used with it. In this case, the above-mentioned tobacco product can be represented as an oral pouch product that has at least an oral composition containing tobacco materials and a pouch for packaging the oral composition, and the tobacco materials are the above-mentioned tobacco materials. Conditions such as the characteristics and amounts of the tobacco materials used in the above-mentioned various tobacco products can be appropriately set within the range of the conditions in known tobacco products.

Example

[0062] The present invention will be explained in more detail below by showing examples, but the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the following examples.

[0063] <Extract> Tobacco shreds consisting of tobacco leaves, which served as the raw tobacco, and water, which served as the extraction solvent, were mixed at 65°C for 20 minutes or more, followed by solid-liquid separation and extraction to obtain Extract A. Extract A was then subjected to cross-flow filtration using a 100 kDa filter membrane to obtain Extract B (filtrate). Extract A was also subjected to cross-flow filtration using a 10 kDa filter membrane to obtain Extract C (filtrate). The above ultrafiltration by cross-flow filtration was carried out under the following conditions. Cross-flow filter: Alfa-Laval Lab Unit M10 Average pore size of the filter: 100kDa (indicating a filtration capacity of 100kDa), 10kDa ·Filtration membrane thickness: 0.1μm ·Membrane surface flow rate for average pore size of filtration membrane: 0.9 mL / min·cm 2 Extract temperature during feeding: 45℃

[0064] [Turbidity of raw tobacco extract] The turbidity of each of the above extracts was measured using a spectrophotometer (SP300, manufactured by Takara Bio Inc.) at a wavelength of 660 nm, and the turbidity reduction rates of extracts B and C were calculated assuming the turbidity of extract A was 1. Extract B showed a turbidity reduction rate of over 90%, and extract C showed a turbidity reduction rate of over 95%. From these results, it can be inferred that filtration using a 100 kDa filtration membrane left almost no change in the total amount of protein in extract A, but filtration using a 10 kDa filtration membrane removed over 95% of the suspended solids in extract A.

[0065] [Total protein content in raw tobacco extract] Using a BCA Protein Assay Kit (TaKaRa), 20 μL each of the BSA standard solution and extracts A to C was dispensed, 1 mL of Bradford Dye Reagent was added, mixed, and allowed to react for 5 minutes at room temperature (25°C). After the reaction, the total protein content of each solution was evaluated based on the absorbance at 595 nm (absorbance derived from BSA protein). These results indicated that filtration using a 100 kDa membrane did not significantly change the total protein content in extract A, but filtration using a 10 kDa membrane removed more than 80% by weight of the total protein in extract A.

[0066] [Total starch content in raw tobacco extract] The starch content was evaluated using F-kit starch (JK International). The results showed that filtration using a 100 kDa membrane did not significantly change the total protein content in Extract A, but more than 30% of the total starch was removed. It can also be inferred that filtration using a 10 kDa membrane, which has a smaller average pore size than 100 kDa and therefore limits the substances that can pass through, would allow for greater starch removal.

[0067] [Viscosity of raw tobacco extract] The viscosity of each of the above extracts A to C was evaluated at 20°C using an SU-10 made by AND Japan. As a result, the viscosity of each of extracts A to C was 1.24 mPa·s.

[0068] <Tobacco materials> The residue obtained from each of the above extraction processes was used to make paper with a thickness of 0.5 mm and an area of 25 cm. 2 A sheet-like molded article (5 cm x 5 cm) was obtained. The tobacco sheet was then soaked in each of the extracts A to C for 10 minutes, and then dried at 80°C for 2 hours to obtain sheet-like tobacco materials A to C, respectively. The content of raw tobacco per 100 mg of tobacco material in dry weight was calculated from the charged amount to be 53 mg for tobacco material A, 62 mg for tobacco material B, and 87 mg for tobacco material C.

[0069] [Dry matter penetration rate] When the dry matter penetration rate was calculated from the formula ((weight of the tobacco material after infiltration and drying - weight of the green body before infiltration) × 100 / weight of the raw tobacco), it was found that it was about 50% for Extract A, and Extract B was also about the same as Extract A, while it was 85% by weight or more for Extract C.

[0070] [Content of total protein in the tobacco material] The proteins in each of the above tobacco materials A to C were evaluated by the following method. First, 100 mg of the amount to be measured was evenly sampled from 10 locations in the entire tobacco material, 100 mg of distilled water was added, and extraction was carried out at 80 °C for 1 hour, and the average value was calculated for evaluation. In addition, the content of total protein in the tobacco material was measured by the method for measuring the content of total protein described in the above description of the tobacco material. As a result, the content of total protein per 100 mg in dry weight was 6 mg (corresponding to 6% by weight of the total protein content in the tobacco material) in tobacco material A, 6 mg (corresponding to 6% by weight of the total protein content in the tobacco material) in tobacco material B, and 2 mg (corresponding to 2% by weight of the total protein content in the tobacco material) in tobacco material C.

[0071] [Content of starch in the tobacco material] The total starch in each of the above tobacco materials A and B was evaluated by the following method. First, 100 mg of the amount to be measured was evenly sampled from the entire tobacco material at 10 locations, 100 mg of distilled water was added, and the average value of the starch amount in the liquid extracted at 80 °C for 1 hour was calculated and evaluated. Here, the content of the total starch in the tobacco material was evaluated by the evaluation method of the total starch content described in the above description of the tobacco material. As a result, the content of the total starch per 100 mg of the tobacco material in terms of dry weight was 3.0 mg in tobacco material A (corresponding to 3.0% by weight of the total starch content in the tobacco material), and 1.8 mg in tobacco material B (corresponding to 1.8% by weight of the total starch content in the tobacco material). Also, by performing filtration using a 10 kDa filtration membrane with an average pore size smaller than 100 kDa, that is, a filtration membrane through which the substances that can pass are limited, more starch can be removed. Therefore, it can be inferred that the content of the total starch per 100 mg of the tobacco material in terms of dry weight when using tobacco material C is less than 1.8 mg (corresponding to 1.8% by weight of the total starch content in the tobacco material). Therefore, when combined with the content of the total protein in each of the above tobacco materials, the total content of the total protein and the total starch per 100 mg of the tobacco material in terms of dry weight was found to be 9 mg in tobacco material A (corresponding to 9% by weight of the content of high-molecular substances in the tobacco material), and 7.8 mg in tobacco material B (corresponding to 7.8% by weight of the content of high-molecular substances in the tobacco material). Also, it can be inferred that the total content of the total protein and the total starch per 100 mg of the tobacco material in terms of dry weight is less than 3.8 mg (corresponding to 3.8% by weight of the content of high-molecular substances in the tobacco material) in tobacco material C.

[0072] [Turbidity of the extract of the tobacco material] For each of the above tobacco materials A to C, water was used as a solvent, and extraction was performed under the conditions of a heating temperature of 80 °C and a heating time of 30 minutes to obtain extraction liquids A' to C'. As the turbidity of each of these extraction liquids A' to C', the value measured under the condition of a wavelength of 810 nm using a turbidimeter (portable turbidimeter CT100 manufactured by Semco Corporation) was adopted. As a result, the turbidity of extraction liquid A' was 224 NTU, the turbidity of extraction liquid B' was 19 NTU, and the turbidity of extraction liquid C' was 5 NTU.

[0073] [Flavor components of tobacco materials] Each of the above extraction liquids A' to C' was subjected to GC-MS (manufactured by Agilent), and the distribution of each component with different molecular weights in the liquid was compared. As a result, regardless of the concentrations of the total protein and total starch, it was found that at least 80% by weight of the flavor components remained in the liquid in extraction liquid C'. That is, it was found that the above-described filtration does not have a significant impact on the flavor.

[0074] [Binding property] Paper was made from the residue obtained by the above extraction process to obtain two sheet-shaped molded bodies with a thickness of 0.5 mm and an area of 25 cm 2 (1 cm × 8 cm). Then, the two sheet-shaped molded bodies were immersed in each of the above extraction liquids A to C in a stacked state, and then dried at 80 °C for 2 hours to obtain bonded bodies A to C in which two sheet-shaped tobacco materials were bonded, respectively. Using a tensile testing machine (Strograph E-S manufactured by Toyo Seiki Seisaku-sho, Ltd.), the peeling strength of each of the above bonded bodies was measured, and the strength when 50 mm of peeling occurred was evaluated. As a result, for bonded body A, it was 0.43 N, for bonded body B, it was 0.45 N, and for bonded body C, it was 0.09 N. It was found that the binding property significantly decreased due to the decrease in the content of the total protein (preferably, the total protein and total starch) by filtration using a 10 kDa filtration membrane.

Claims

1. A tobacco material having a total protein content of 2 mg or less per 100 mg on a dry weight basis and a total content of total protein and total starch of less than 3.8 mg per 100 mg on a dry weight basis.

2. The tobacco material according to claim 1, having a total starch content of less than 1.8 mg per 100 mg on a dry weight basis.

3. A tobacco material having a total protein content of 2 wt% or less on a dry weight basis and a total content of total protein and total starch of less than 3.8 wt% on a dry weight basis.

4. The tobacco material according to claim 3, having a total starch content of less than 1.8 wt% on a dry weight basis.

5. The tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a content of components with a molecular weight of 10,000 or less of 20 wt% or more.

6. The tobacco material according to claim 5, having a content of components with a molecular weight of 10,000 or less of 30 wt% or more.

7. The tobacco material according to claim 6, having a content of components with a molecular weight of 10,000 or less of 40 wt% or more.

8. The tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a content of raw tobacco of 6 mg or more per 100 mg on a dry weight basis.

9. The tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, using water as a solvent and having a turbidity of the extract obtained by extraction under the conditions of a heating temperature of 80°C and a heating time of 30 minutes of 80 NTU or less.

10. A tobacco product comprising the tobacco material according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

11. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​