Abstract
The aim of the present study was to gain further understanding of the precursors in tobacco of four polycyclic aromatic amines (PAAs) - 1- and 2-aminonaphthalene, 3- and 4-aminobiphenyl. We carried out non-isothermal pyrolysis of the residues, which were obtained after extraction of tobacco cut filler with methylene chloride followed by extraction with water, under three different pyrolysis conditions (target temperature 800 °C / 800 °C / 400 °C and O2 concentration in carrier gas 0% / 20% / 3%, resp.). The yields of the four PAAs obtained by the pyrolysis of each sample were evaluated. Several nitrogenous components in the sample were also analyzed. The results under all these pyrolysis conditions showed that 1) the methylene chloride-soluble fraction, in which 50-60% of nicotine was extracted, did NOT contribute significantly contribution to the yields of the four PAAs; 2) the watersoluble fraction, in which most of the nitrogenous inorganic ions and amino acids were extracted, contributed at an average of about 30% to total PAA yield; and 3) the insoluble residue, in which only protein was detected during the investigation of the nitrogenous components in the present study, showed the highest contribution, 50-60% of the four PAAs formed. Consequently, it is concluded that protein-like components in tobacco contribute highly to the formation of the four PAAs by tobacco pyrolysis.