Abstract: High temperature processes and thermophilic organisms for use in those processes for reducing the levels of certain nitrogen-containing compounds in tobacco materials. Tobacco materials are contacted with at least one thermophilic organism characterized by an anaerobic, dissimilatory, metabolic pathway for denitrification of tobacco materials under anaerobic and high temperature conditions that promote such metabolism. Tobacco materials treated in accordance with these high temperature processes and thermophilic organisms, when incorporated into a smoking product, deliver a significantly reduced amount of oxide of nitrogen in smoke. Moreover, such tobacco materials also afford the product of other tobacco products having lower amounts of nitrates and other nitrogen-containing compounds.

Abstract: An improved process for the reduction of the nitrate content of tobacco materials via dissimilatory denitrification is disclosed wherein more rapid reduction of nitrate to nitrogen gas is effected by utilizing a vacuum during incubation. The process comprises inoculating nitrate-containing tobacco material with a microorganism capable of dissimilatory denitrification and thereafter incubating the tobacco material under conditions whereby the nitrate is reduced to nitrogen gas via dissimilatory denitrification while applying a vacuum.

Abstract: A novel tobacco for smoking articles which is an air-cured bright tobacco harvested by stalk cutting, priming, or a combination of partial priming followed by stalk cutting, and characterized by a total reducing sugar content within the range of from 0 to about 6%, a chlorogenic acid content within the range of from 0 to about 0.4%, a rutin content within the range of from 0 to about 0.2%, a hot water solubles content within the range of from about 45 to about 55%, a total ash content within the range of from about 12 to about 26%, a combined proline and threonine content within the range of from 0 to about 1 mg/g, a combined aspartic acid and asparagine content within the range of from about 0.5 to about 7 mg/g, and a combined glutamic acid and glutamine content within the range of from about 0.5 to about 1.6 mg/g; all measurements being on a dry weight basis.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the treatment of tobacco materials. More particularly, the invention relates to a process that comprises contacting tobacco with an aqueous enzyme solution exhibiting cellulase activity, incubating the tobacco-enzyme mixture, and thereafter expanding the tobacco material. Tobacco materials treated in this manner exhibit an enhanced capability for expansion, thereby resulting in a significant increase in filling capacity when compared to untreated expanded tobacco.

Abstract: A method for utilizing waste cellulosic material by conversion to sugars suitable for use in tobacco manufacturing is disclosed. The method comprises comminuting waste cellulose products, which are generated during tobacco product manufacturing, deesterifying any waste cellulose acetate present in the waste products, enzymatically saccharifying the deesterified and comminuted products to simple sugars and recovering the sugars produced. The recovered sugars may be utilized in tobacco treatment processes. Enzymatic saccharification is preferably effected with Trichoderma viride cellulases.