Abstract
Maltol (2-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-pyrone) as a new tobacco smoke constituent was identified by thin layer chromatography and UV-spectrometry. After conversion into the methylether, by reaction with diazomethane, maltoI was identified by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. The amount of maltol in the smoke of a cigarette, made from tobacco without any additives, was 5 to 10 µg/cigarette. As far as we know, the occurrence of γ-pyrone derivatives in tobacco smoke has not been reported until now. It might be possible that the newly found γ-pyrone derivative is only the first representative of a new class of chemical smoke constituents