Dehydration of tobacco and tobacco-derived materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10813383-B2
Application number	US-201615375695-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2016
Priority date	Dec 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of providing a protein-enriched material, comprising:
removing at least about 20% of the water from a green tobacco plant or portion thereof, comprising using light energy or microwave energy, optionally in combination with vacuum pressure, to yield a dehydrated tobacco plant material that retains at least about 60% of the proteins present in the green tobacco plant or portion thereof;
contacting the dehydrated tobacco plant material with a solvent for a time and under conditions sufficient to extract one or more proteins from the dehydrated tobacco plant material into the solvent and form a liquid protein-containing extract;
separating a solid extracted plant material from the liquid protein-containing extract; and
treating the liquid protein-containing extract so as to provide a protein-enriched material, wherein the amount of protein enriched material obtained from a given amount of dehydrated tobacco plant material is at least about 50% that of protein-enriched material obtained from the same amount of green tobacco plant or portion thereof by dry weight.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least about 40% of the water is removed from the green tobacco plant or portion thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dehydrated tobacco plant material retains at least about 70% of the proteins present in the green tobacco plant or portion thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the green tobacco plant or portion thereof and the dehydrated tobacco plant material exhibit similar aroma characteristics.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the dehydrated tobacco plant material for at least about 1 week prior to the contacting step.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the dehydrated tobacco plant material is stored at ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the dehydrated tobacco plant material is stored at a temperature below ambient temperature.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the dehydrated tobacco plant material is stored under frozen conditions.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protein-enriched material comprises at least about 50% protein by dry weight.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protein-enriched material comprises at least about 60% protein by dry weight.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of clarifying the liquid protein-containing extract prior to said treating step.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating step comprises:
adjusting the pH of the liquid protein-containing extract to a pH of less than about 6 to form an acidic extract;
isolating a precipitate from the acidic extract; and
washing the precipitate to provide a protein-enriched material.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the treating step comprises:
filtering the liquid protein-containing extract on a ceramic filter or an ultrafiltration membrane to give a retentate and a liquid permeate; and
washing the retentate to provide the protein-enriched material.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the dehydrated tobacco plant material for at least about 1 month prior to the contacting step.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the dehydrated tobacco plant material for at least about 6 months prior to the contacting step.

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Mua John-Paul
• Byrd Crystal Dawn Hege
• Nordskog Brian Keith
• Sebastian Andries Don
• Turfler David Troy
• Keller Christopher
• Mabe Jeremy Barrett

Classifications

• A24B3/04

  Humidifying or drying tobacco bunches or cut tobacco (A24B3/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A24B9/00

  Control of the moisture content of tobacco products, e.g. cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco ({final drying of cigars A24C1/383, of cigarettes A24C5/603}; devices for use by the smoker for controlling the moisture content of tobacco products A24F25/00) · CPC title

• A24B15/22 Primary

  by application of electric or wave energy or particle radiation · CPC title

• A24B15/241

  Extraction of specific substances · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title