R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Crystal Dawn Hege Byrd

Anthony Richard Gerardi

Michael Francis Dube

Andries Don Sebastian

Eric Taylor Hunt

Thaddeus Jude Jackson

Darrell Eugene Holton, Jr

John-Paul Mua

Kyle Ford

Paul Andrew Brinkley

Dwayne William Beeson

Jack Gray Flinchum, Jr

Jeremy Barrett Mabe

Brian Keith Nordskog

David Troy Turfler

Christopher Keller

August Joseph Borschke

Yan Pu

Chelsea Allison Cooke

Chelsea Allison Betts

Charles Bradford Rhoades, Jr

Chelsea Alison Betts

Jr Charles Bradford Rhoades

William Monroe Iii Coleman

A method of modifying the moisture level of (e.g., dehydrating) a tobacco plant or portion thereof, a tobacco-derived material, a tobacco product, or a tobacco additive is provided herein. The methods of dehydration disclosed herein can provide various benefits relative to traditional drying techniques, including providing retention of various beneficial components present in green tobacco (e.g., organoleptic compounds and proteins). Smoking articles and other tobacco products including such dehydrated tobacco materials are also provided.

Dehydration of tobacco and tobacco-derived materials

The disclosure describes methods for the purification of protein-enriched extracts to provide concentrates and isolates and methods for incorporation of such materials into products. The purification methods are adapted for removal of one or more of ash, metal salts, alkaloids, particulates, heavy metals, and other impurities and/or contaminants from extracts, as well as modifying the sensory characteristics (e.g., odor, color, and/or taste characteristics) of extracts. The methods generally include diafiltration, treatment with functionalized resins, and supercritical extraction. A protein composition in the form of a concentrate or isolate is provided, the protein composition including RuBisCO, F2 fraction proteins, or combination thereof extracted from a plant of thespecies, wherein the protein composition is characterized by one or more of: an ash content of less than about 15% by weight; a nicotine content of less than about 10 μg/g, and a heavy metal content of less than about 60 μg/g.

Tobacco-derived protein compositions

The invention provides a method of isolating certain target compounds from tobacco, tobacco materials or smoke generated by a smoking article. The method can be used to remove undesirable compounds from tobacco, tobacco materials, or tobacco smoke. The method can also be used to remove flavor compounds from tobacco or tobacco materials, which can then be used as flavor components for tobacco material used in smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions.

Molecularly imprinted polymers for treating tobacco material and filtering smoke from smoking articles

The invention provides a method of extracting and isolating certain compounds from tobacco. The resulting isolate can include more than 90% by weight of a given compound and can be used as a flavor component for tobacco material used in smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions. Exemplary compounds that may be present in the isolate according to the invention include, but are not limited to, solanone, neophytadiene, megastigmatrienone, &#x3b2;-damascenone, norsolanadione, cis-abienol, &#x3b1;-cembratrienediol, &#x3b2;-cembratrienediol, sucrose esters, and lutein.

Tobacco-derived components and materials

The disclosure describes methods for the purification of protein-enriched extracts to provide concentrates and isolates and methods for incorporation of such materials into products. The purification methods are adapted for removal of one or more of ash, metal salts, alkaloids, particulates, heavy metals, and other impurities and/or contaminants from extracts, as well as modifying the sensory characteristics (e.g., odor, color, and/or taste characteristics) of extracts. The methods generally include diafiltration, treatment with functionalized resins, and supercritical extraction. A protein composition in the form of a concentrate or isolate is provided, the protein composition including RuBisCO, F2 fraction proteins, or combination thereof extracted from a plant of thespecies, wherein the protein composition is characterized by one or more of: an ash content of less than about 15% by weight; a nicotine content of less than about 10 &#x3bc;g/g; and a heavy metal content of less than about 60 &#x3bc;g/g.

A system for a tobacco curing barn is capable of collecting tobacco-derived moisture from tobacco while that tobacco is cured. The system incorporates a tobacco curing barn or other type of curing enclosure, such as bulk curing barn used for the flue-curing of tobacco. The curing barn is equipped with at least one reclamation element configured to condense and collect moisture released from tobacco cured within the barn. The reclamation element is disposed in proximity with the enclosure in a manner and location providing passage of moist air released from the tobacco across a surface of the reclamation element. The system also includes at least one storage container disposed in fluid communication with the reclamation element surface and configured to store moisture and moisture-borne material collected by the reclamation element. The resulting tobacco-derived components can be blended with other tobacco materials, such as is common practice during tobacco reordering.

Method and system for moist tobacco extract isolation

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, NC, United States of America

Crystal Dawn Hege Byrd