Abstract: There is provided a method of extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from tobacco material, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing tobacco material; ii) subjecting the tobacco material to steam distillation; and iii) extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from the tobacco material with a solvent; wherein distillation step (ii) and extraction step (iii) are carried out simultaneously and at a pH of no greater than 2, and wherein the period during which both the distillation step (ii) and the extraction step (iii) are carried out is from about 8 to about 20 hours.

Abstract: There is provided a method of extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from tobacco material, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing tobacco material; ii) subjecting the tobacco material to steam distillation; and iii) extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from the tobacco material with a solvent; wherein distillation step (ii) and extraction step (iii) are carried out simultaneously and at a pH of no greater than 2, and wherein the period during which both the distillation step (ii) and the extraction step (iii) are carried out is from about 8 to about 20 hours.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cured hybrid tobacco plant or a part thereof made between a parent flue-cured tobacco plant and a parent non-flue-cured tobacco plant; which cured hybrid tobacco plant or a part thereof comprises one or more flavour compounds which are a breakdown product of cis-abienol at a concentration which is about equal to or greater than the concentration in the cured parent non-flue-cured tobacco plant.

Abstract: A method of designing a target combustible tobacco product, the method comprising receiving respective values for a plurality of input parameters (101); calculating respective values for a plurality of design parameters (130) for the combustible tobacco product based on the received values for the plurality of input parameters, and providing the calculated values as an output. The plurality of design parameters comprise at least two parameters selected from: a tobacco blend composition; tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide deliveries; a smoke sensory attribute; a number of puffs associated with the combustible tobacco product; combustible tobacco product dimensions; tobacco weight; tobacco rod and/or filter density; tobacco rod and/or filter firmness; open and/or closed combustible tobacco product pressure drop; filter pressure drop; cigarette paper porosity; and ventilation level.

Abstract: The present invention provides a cured hybrid tobacco plant or a part thereof made between a parent flue-cured tobacco plant and a parent non-flue-cured tobacco plant; which cured hybrid tobacco plant or a part thereof comprises one or more flavour compounds which are a breakdown product of cis-abienol at a concentration which is about equal to or greater than the concentration in the cured parent non-flue-cured tobacco plant.

Abstract: There is provided a method of extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from tobacco material, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing tobacco material; ii) subjecting the tobacco material to steam distillation; and iii) extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from the tobacco material with a solvent; wherein distillation step (ii) and extraction step (iii) are carried out simultaneously and at a pH of no greater than 2, and wherein the period during which both the distillation step (ii) and the extraction step (iii) are carried out is from about 8 to about 20 hours.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for classifying a tobacco sample of a particular tobacco type into one of a predefined set of taste categories for that tobacco type. The method comprises acquiring mass spectrometry data from the tobacco sample; identifying from the acquired mass spectrometry data a plurality of chemical components and their respective content levels within the tobacco sample; and assigning the tobacco sample to one of the predefined set of taste categories for that tobacco type based on the plurality of chemical components and their respective content levels identified within the tobacco sample, using a statistical multivariate regression model that represents a relationship between the chemical components and the taste categories.