WO2022249242A1

WO2022249242A1 - Tobacco-flavored liquid manufacturing method, tobacco-flavored liquid, and flavor inhaler

Info

Publication number: WO2022249242A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/019623
Authority: WO
Inventors: 亮祐長瀬
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-05-24
Filing date: 2021-05-24
Publication date: 2022-12-01
Also published as: JPWO2022249242A1; US20240041093A1; KR20230158090A; EP4349185A1; EP4349185A8; CN117425413A

Abstract

Provided is a tobacco-flavored liquid manufacturing method that includes processing a tobacco liquid extract using a material containing an inorganic porous body, and removing microorganisms from the tobacco liquid extract.

Description

Tobacco flavoring liquid manufacturing method, tobacco flavoring liquid, and flavor inhaler

The present invention relates to a method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid, a tobacco flavor liquid, and a flavor inhaler.

The dried leaves of tobacco plants are used as a flavor source for flavor inhalers such as cigarettes and heated tobacco, and are called leaf tobacco. Leaf tobacco contains various flavor components. The leaf tobacco may be used as it is as the flavor source for the flavor inhaler, or the tobacco flavor component may be extracted from the leaf tobacco and the resulting tobacco extract may be used as the flavor source for the flavor inhaler. Since the tobacco extract contains microorganisms such as yeast, it is desirable to remove the microorganisms when using it as a flavor source for a flavor inhaler.

It is also known to increase the flavor components contained in the tobacco extract by reacting the tobacco extract with microorganisms such as yeast (for example, Patent Document 1). In this case as well, it is desirable to remove microorganisms when the tobacco extract after reaction is used as a flavor source for a flavor inhaler.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,175

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique for removing microorganisms such as yeast from tobacco extracts by a simple method without impairing tobacco flavor.

According to one aspect, there is provided a method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid, which includes treating the tobacco extract with a material containing an inorganic porous material to remove microorganisms from the tobacco extract.

According to another aspect, there is provided a tobacco flavoring liquid obtained by the method described above.

According to yet another aspect, there is provided a flavor inhaler containing the aforementioned tobacco flavor liquid.

According to the present invention, there is provided a technique for removing microorganisms such as yeast from a tobacco extract by a simple method without impairing tobacco flavor.

FIG. 1 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for producing a tobacco flavoring liquid. FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing another example of the method for producing tobacco flavor liquid. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a combustion type flavor inhaler. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a heating flavor inhaler. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a tobacco stick. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the aerosol generator.

Although the present invention will be described in detail below, the following description is for the purpose of describing the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention.

<1. Method for producing tobacco flavor liquid>
A method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid includes treating a tobacco extract with a material containing an inorganic porous material to remove microorganisms from the tobacco extract.

With this method, the microorganisms contained in the tobacco extract are removed, so the obtained tobacco flavor liquid has a reduced amount of microorganisms compared to the tobacco extract. As used herein, "microorganism" refers to any microorganism contained in the tobacco extract immediately before the tobacco extract is treated with the material containing the inorganic porous material, and includes bacteria and fungi.

In the first embodiment, the tobacco extract is a tobacco supernatant obtained by extracting the water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent. The method according to the first embodiment includes the following <1-1. 1st Embodiment>.

In the second embodiment, the tobacco extract is a useful ingredient eluate obtained by a method comprising the following steps (a) to (c):
(a) extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant;
(b) culturing yeast in the tobacco supernatant to obtain a yeast-containing culture medium; and (c) mixing the yeast-containing culture medium with an elution solvent containing an organic solvent, and adding A useful ingredient eluate is obtained by eluting the useful ingredients contained in the cells of the yeast from the contained yeast into the liquid portion of the mixture. The method according to the second embodiment includes the following <1-2. 2nd embodiment>.

<1-1. First Embodiment>
According to the first embodiment, a method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid comprises:
(S1) extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant;
(S4) treating the tobacco supernatant with a material containing an inorganic porous material to obtain a microorganism-free tobacco supernatant.

A method according to the first embodiment is shown in FIG. The method according to the first embodiment will be described in order of steps (S1) and (S4) with reference to FIG. The "microbial-free tobacco supernatant" obtained by the method according to the first embodiment can be used as the "liquid tobacco flavor".

[Extraction step (S1)]
In the extraction step (S1), water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material are extracted from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant. In the extraction step (S1), a tobacco supernatant is obtained and at the same time tobacco residue is obtained (see FIG. 1).

As the tobacco material, cut tobacco ready to be blended into tobacco products such as combustion type or heating type flavor inhalers can be used. "Shredded tobacco ready to be incorporated into tobacco products" means a drying process at a farm, followed by a long-term aging process of one to several years at a raw material plant, and then blending and chopping at a manufacturing plant. It refers to shredded tobacco that is ready to be blended into tobacco products after undergoing various processing such as

"Tobacco cuts are cut tobacco leaves." Shredded tobacco includes chopped deboned leaves, shredded core, and regenerated tobacco (i.e., tobacco material processed into reusable shapes from leaf waste, cut waste, core waste, fine powder, etc. generated in the factory work process. ) or a mixture thereof. Tobacco shreds may be pulverized in order to increase extraction efficiency, and the resulting pulverized product may be used for extraction.

Any variety of shredded tobacco can be used, for example, yellow variety, burley variety, orient variety can be used. A single variety of shredded tobacco may be used, or a mixture of different varieties may be used.

Water or hydrous ethanol can be used as the aqueous solvent. As hydrous ethanol, for example, a mixture of ethanol and water at a volume ratio of 1:1 can be used. The aqueous solvent is generally water, preferably water at room temperature (eg, about 20°C) to 70°C. Aqueous solvents can be used, for example, in an amount of 500-5000% by weight relative to the tobacco material.

Extraction is carried out, for example, by immersing the tobacco material in warm water of 40-60°C for 30-180 minutes, or by shaking the tobacco material in warm water of 40-60°C for 30-180 minutes (eg, 200 rpm). be able to.

Also, the extraction may be performed by repeating the extraction operation multiple times. Specifically, the water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material are extracted from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent, and then the obtained tobacco residue is put into a new aqueous solvent and subjected to a second extraction operation. The extraction may be carried out by repeating the extraction procedure with a new aqueous solvent.

A mixture of tobacco residue and tobacco supernatant is obtained by extraction. Tobacco supernatant contains the water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material. Examples of "water-soluble components contained in tobacco materials" include components that serve as nutrients for microorganisms such as yeast (e.g., sugars, amino acids, proteins, nutrient salts), and components that contribute to tobacco flavor (e.g., organic acids, foliar resins, terpenoids, polyphenols) and the like.

After extraction, the tobacco residue and the tobacco supernatant are separated, and the tobacco supernatant is used as a raw material for obtaining the tobacco flavor liquid. On the other hand, the tobacco residue is mixed with the finally obtained tobacco flavor liquid (in this embodiment, "microbial-free tobacco supernatant"), and the resulting mixture is appropriately processed to produce a tobacco filler. can be used for For example, the tobacco residue may be mixed with the finally obtained tobacco flavoring liquid, and the resulting mixture may be used to produce tobacco moldings such as sheet tobacco. Alternatively, the tobacco residue may be mixed with the tobacco flavoring liquid finally obtained and the resulting mixture dried and ground for use in making tobacco powder.

[Processing step (S4)]
In the treatment step (S4), the tobacco supernatant is treated with a material containing an inorganic porous material to remove microorganisms from the tobacco supernatant. As a result, a microorganism-free tobacco supernatant is obtained as a tobacco flavor liquid.

The inorganic porous material is, for example, diatomaceous earth or zeolite. Diatomaceous earth is a deposit of fossilized shells of diatoms and contains silicon dioxide as a main component. Zeolites are microporous, crystalline hydrous aluminosilicates, and may be natural or synthetic zeolites.

The microorganisms removed in the treatment step (S4) are those contained in the tobacco supernatant, such as yeast, mold, and microalgae. Since the clarity of the tobacco flavor liquid has been demonstrated in Example 1 described later, in the treatment step (S4), all microorganisms contained in the tobacco supernatant can be removed, and fine particles other than microorganisms, such as fine particles of 1 μm or more, can be removed. It is believed that even sized particulates can be removed.

Microorganisms in the tobacco flavor liquid change the composition of the tobacco flavor liquid through metabolism and cause quality deterioration, so it is preferable that the tobacco flavor liquid does not contain microorganisms. In addition, when the tobacco flavor liquid is applied to an electronic cigarette (that is, a smoking tool that heats the tobacco flavor liquid with a heater to evaporate or vaporize it and is inhaled by the user), microorganisms in the tobacco flavor liquid cause scorching of the heater. Therefore, it is preferable that the tobacco flavor liquid does not contain microorganisms.

The treatment step (S4) may be performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a material containing an inorganic porous material, or by adding a material containing an inorganic porous material to the tobacco supernatant, and then adding an inorganic porous material to the tobacco supernatant. It may be carried out by removing the material containing the porous body from the tobacco supernatant.

In a preferred embodiment, the treatment step (S4) can be performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a layer containing an inorganic porous material. The layer containing the inorganic porous material is, for example, a layer containing diatomaceous earth or a layer containing zeolite. The "layer containing an inorganic porous material" may be a layer consisting only of an inorganic porous material, or a layer containing an inorganic porous material as a main component and an additive as an additional component. good too. Additives include, for example, molding aids and binders.

In one embodiment, the "layer containing an inorganic porous material" may be composed of a molded body containing an inorganic porous material. That is, the treatment step (S4) may be performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a shaped body containing an inorganic porous body. A molded body containing an inorganic porous material is, for example, a molded body containing diatomaceous earth or a molded body containing zeolite. A "formed body containing an inorganic porous body" may be a formed body consisting only of an inorganic porous body, or a shaped body containing an inorganic porous body as a main component and an additive as an additional component. may be Additives include, for example, molding aids and binders. More specifically, the "formed body containing an inorganic porous body" may be a fired formed body containing an inorganic porous body, or a compacted body of particles containing an inorganic porous body. may

For molded bodies containing diatomaceous earth, for example, Celite (registered trademark) (GL Sciences Co., Ltd.) and Supradisc (Nippon Pall Co., Ltd.) can be used.

Alternatively, in another aspect, the "layer containing an inorganic porous material" may be composed of an aggregate of particles containing an inorganic porous material. That is, the treatment step (S4) may be performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through an aggregate of particles containing the inorganic porous material. Particles containing an inorganic porous material are, for example, particles containing diatomaceous earth or particles containing zeolite. "Particles containing an inorganic porous material" may be particles consisting only of an inorganic porous material, or particles containing an inorganic porous material as a main component and an additive as an additional component. good too. Additives include, for example, molding aids and binders.

"Particles containing an inorganic porous material" are, for example, a particle size of <400 μm, generally a particle size of 10 to 400 μm, preferably a particle size of <100 μm, more preferably a particle size of 10 to 100 μm, even more preferably 10 to 80 μm. , more preferably between 30 and 75 μm. A particle size <X μm means that the particle size is smaller than X μm. That is, the particle size of <X μm refers to the particle size of particles that have passed through a sieve with an opening of X μm. Further, the particle size of Y to Z μm means that the particle size is Y μm or more and smaller than Z μm. That is, the particle size of Y to Z μm refers to the particle size of particles that have passed through a sieve with an opening of Z μm but have not passed through a sieve with an opening of Y μm. As used herein, particle size refers to a value measured by a sieving particle size measurement method (JIS Z 8815:1994).

For the particles containing diatomaceous earth, for example, the pulverized diatomaceous earth (particle size: <354 μm) (GL Sciences Inc.) marketed under the trade name of K-solute can be used. As particles containing zeolite, for example, synthetic zeolite powder (particle size: <75 μm) (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) can be used.

In a more preferred embodiment, the treatment step (S4) can be performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a column filled with aggregates of particles containing an inorganic porous material. The "particles containing an inorganic porous material" are as described above, and are, for example, particles containing diatomaceous earth or particles containing zeolite. A column having a size of, for example, an inner diameter of 11 to 100 mm and a length of 100 to 1000 mm can be used. Tobacco supernatant can be passed through the column, for example, by gravity fall.

<1-2. Second Embodiment>
In the second embodiment, the tobacco supernatant is reacted with yeast to increase the flavor components contained in the tobacco supernatant, and then the microorganisms are removed from the tobacco supernatant containing the increased flavor components. That is, according to the second embodiment, the method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid includes:
(S1) extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant;
(S2) culturing yeast in the tobacco supernatant to obtain a yeast-containing culture solution;
(S3) The yeast-containing culture medium and an elution solvent containing an organic solvent are mixed, and from the yeast contained in the resulting mixture, useful components contained in the cells of the yeast are extracted from the liquid portion of the mixture. to obtain a useful component eluate by eluting in
(S4) processing the useful ingredient eluate with a material containing an inorganic porous material to obtain a microorganism-free useful ingredient eluate.

A method according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG. The method according to the second embodiment will be described in order of steps (S1), (S2), (S3) and (S4) with reference to FIG. In the following description, descriptions of portions that overlap with the method according to the first embodiment will be omitted, and portions that differ from the method according to the first embodiment will be mainly described. The "microorganism-free effective ingredient eluate" obtained by the method according to the second embodiment can be used as the "tobacco flavoring liquid".

[Extraction step (S1)]
In the extraction step (S1), water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material are extracted from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant. In the extraction step (S1), a tobacco supernatant is obtained and a tobacco residue is obtained at the same time (see FIG. 2). The extraction step (S1) can be performed in the same manner as the extraction step (S1) described in the method of the first embodiment.

[Culturing step (S2)]
In the culture step (S2), yeast is cultured in the tobacco supernatant obtained in the extraction step (S1) to obtain a yeast-containing culture solution (see FIG. 2).

Any type of yeast can be used as long as it can produce useful components when cultured in tobacco supernatant.

As used herein, "useful ingredients" refer to ingredients that are useful for the finally obtained tobacco flavor liquid. The useful component may be, for example, a component that contributes to the flavor of the tobacco flavor liquid (hereinafter referred to as a flavor contributing component) or a component that colors the tobacco flavor liquid (hereinafter referred to as a coloring component). , a component that prevents putrefaction and fermentation of the tobacco flavoring liquid (hereinafter referred to as a preservative component).

The useful ingredients are preferably flavor-contributing ingredients. A "flavor-contributing component" may be a flavor component that releases flavor or may be a precursor that is converted to a flavor component when heated or burned in a flavor inhaler.

Flavor-contributing components include, for example, carotenoids, fatty acids, neutral fats (that is, glycerol esters of fatty acids), acetic acid esters, fatty acid esters, organic acids, higher alcohols (for example, alcohols having 8 to 22 carbon atoms). . Examples of coloring components include carotenoids. Examples of antiseptic components include lactic acid, fatty acid glycosides, and benzoic acid.

Therefore, yeast known to produce the above-mentioned useful ingredients can be used in the method of the present invention.

カロテノイドを生産する酵母としては、Rhodotorula属の酵母、例えばRhodotorula alborubescens、Rhodotorula araucariae、Rhodotorula babjevae、Rhodotorula dairenensis、Rhodotorula diobovata、Rhodotorula evergladensis、Rhodotorula glutinis、Rhodotorula graminis、Rhodotorula kratochvilovae、Rhodotorula mucilaginosa、Rhodotorula ngohengohe、Rhodotorula pacifica、 Rhodotorula paludigena, Rhodotorula sinensis, Rhodotorula sphaerocarpa, Rhodotorula taiwanensis, Rhodotorula toruloides; yeast belonging to the genus Xanthophyllomyces, such as Xanthophyllomyces australis, Xanthophyllomyces rhodozyma, and Xanthophyllomyces tasmanica.

Examples of fatty acid-producing yeasts include yeast belonging to the genus Yarrowia, such as Yarrowia alimentaria, Yarrowia bubula, Yarrowia deformans, Yarrowia divulgata, Yarrowia galli, Yarrowia hollandica, Yarrowia keelungensis, Yarrowia lipolytica, Yarrowia osloensis, Yarrowia parophoni, Yarrowia phangngaensis, Yarrowia porcina, Yarrowia yakushimensis；Lipomyces属の酵母、例えばLipomyces anomalus、Lipomyces arxii、Lipomyces chichibuensis、Lipomyces doorenjongii、Lipomyces japonicus、Lipomyces kockii、Lipomyces kononenkoae、Lipomyces lipofer、Lipomyces mesembrius、Lipomyces okinawensis、Lipomyces oligophaga、Lipomyces orientalis、Lipomyces smithiae、Lipomyces spencermartinsiae , Lipomyces starkeyi.

Yeasts that produce acetate esters, fatty acid esters, or higher alcohols include yeasts of the genus Saccharomyces, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces paradoxus, Saccharomyces bayanus, Saccharomyces uvarum, Saccharomyces arboricola; yeasts of the genus Cyberlindnera, such as Cyberlindnera jadinii, Cyberlindnera saturnus, and Cyberlindnera. fabianii, Cyberlindnera suaveolens, Cyberlindnera americana, Cyberlindnera xylosilytyca; yeasts of the genus Wickerhamomyces, such as Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Wickerhamomyces ciferri, and Wickerhamomyces canadensis.

One type of yeast may be cultured in the tobacco supernatant, or two or more types of yeast may be cultured in the tobacco supernatant. The yeast may also be a genetically modified yeast that has been genetically modified to increase production of useful ingredients.

The yeast culture conditions are not particularly limited, and conditions suitable for the growth of the yeast to be used and the production of useful components can be appropriately selected. Prior to culturing, yeast can be added to the tobacco supernatant, eg at a concentration of 10-10 ⁸ cells/mL. Cultivation can be carried out, for example, at 10-40° C. for, for example, 5-168 hours.

Tobacco supernatant contains ingredients that are nutrients for yeast and ingredients that are raw materials for useful ingredients, and can provide an environment suitable for the growth of yeast and the production of useful ingredients. For this reason, there is no need to add additional ingredients to the tobacco supernatant. However, the method of the invention does not exclude adding additional ingredients to the tobacco supernatant.

A mixture of yeast and tobacco supernatant obtained after culturing yeast in tobacco supernatant is referred to herein as a "yeast-containing culture solution". The yeast-containing culture medium has an increased amount of useful components produced by the yeast compared to the "mixture of yeast and tobacco supernatant before culture". In addition, the yeast-containing culture medium has a reduced amount of substances consumed by the yeast for growth and production of useful components, compared to the "mixture of yeast and tobacco supernatant before culture".

[Elution step (S3)]
In the elution step (S3), the yeast-containing culture solution obtained in the culture step (S2) is mixed with an elution solvent containing an organic solvent, and the yeast contained in the resulting mixture is extracted from the yeast cells. The useful ingredients contained in the mixture are eluted into the liquid portion of the mixture. Thus, a useful component eluate is obtained (see FIG. 2).

In this specification, a mixture containing yeast and an elution solvent obtained after the elution process is completed is referred to as a "useful ingredient eluate".

An elution solvent containing an organic solvent can be used as the elution solvent. The elution solvent may be the organic solvent itself or a mixture of the organic solvent and water. The elution solvent is preferably an elution solvent containing an organic solvent miscible with water, more preferably an elution solvent containing an alcohol miscible with water. That is, the preferred dissolution solvent is an alcohol miscible with water, or a hydrous alcohol thereof.

The organic solvent contained in the elution solvent is preferably an organic solvent having an SP value of 10-14.5, more preferably an alcohol having an SP value of 10-14.5. Examples of organic solvents included in the elution solvent include ethanol, isopropanol, methanol, or butanol. The organic solvent contained in the elution solvent is more preferably ethanol or isopropanol, most preferably ethanol. That is, the most preferred elution solvent is ethanol or hydrous ethanol.

The SP value refers to the value of the Hildebrand solubility parameter. The higher the SP value of the solvent, the higher the miscibility with water. SP values are known for various solvents, for example, ethanol has an SP value of 12.7, isopropanol has an SP value of 11.5, methanol has an SP value of 14.5, butanol has an SP value of 11.4. be.

As for the organic solvent contained in the elution solvent, one type may be used, or two or more types may be mixed and used.

The elution solvent is used in an amount such that the concentration of the organic solvent in the mixture of the yeast-containing culture medium and the elution solvent is, for example, 50% by volume or more, preferably 50 to 95% by volume, more preferably 60 to 95% by volume. It can be added to the yeast-containing broth. The concentration of the organic solvent can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the elution efficiency of useful components. As used herein, the term "mixed solution of yeast-containing culture medium and elution solvent" refers to a mixture of the liquid portion of the yeast-containing culture medium (i.e., the tobacco supernatant after culture) and the elution solvent. and does not contain yeast.

Also, the elution solvent can be added in an amount of, for example, 100 to 900% by volume with respect to the yeast-containing culture medium. The amount of the elution solvent to be added can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of the elution efficiency of the useful components.

For example, when ethanol or hydrous ethanol is used as the elution solvent and fatty acids are to be eluted as the useful component, the concentration of ethanol in the mixture of the yeast-containing culture medium and the elution solvent is, for example, 50% by volume or more. It can be added to the yeast-containing culture medium in an amount of preferably 50 to 90% by volume, more preferably 60 to 90% by volume, even more preferably 60 to 80% by volume, and most preferably 70% by volume.

For example, when ethanol or hydrous ethanol is used as an elution solvent and carotenoids are to be eluted as a useful component, the concentration of ethanol in the mixture of the yeast-containing culture medium and the elution solvent is, for example, 50% by volume or more. Preferably 50 to 90% by volume, more preferably 60 to 90% by volume, still more preferably 70 to 90% by volume, still more preferably 80 to 90% by volume, most preferably 90% by volume, yeast-containing culture solution can be added to

In the elution step (S3), after mixing the yeast-containing culture solution and the elution solvent, the useful components contained in the yeast cells are eluted from the yeast contained in the resulting mixture into the liquid portion of the mixture. Elution can be carried out by stirring the mixture of the yeast-containing medium and the elution solvent, with heating if necessary, for a predetermined period of time.

Elution is preferably carried out while stirring the mixture from the viewpoint of elution efficiency of the useful components, but may be carried out while the mixture is still. When stirring the mixture, the stirring speed can be, for example, 60 to 300 rpm.

In addition, when the elution of the useful component is promoted by heating, the elution may be performed while heating. 25°C).

The elution temperature and elution time can be adjusted as appropriate in consideration of the elution efficiency of useful ingredients.

For example, when ethanol or hydrous ethanol is used as the elution solvent and fatty acids are to be eluted as useful components, the elution can be carried out by stirring the mixture at room temperature (eg, 15-25°C) for 5-60 minutes. .

For example, when ethanol or hydrous ethanol is used as an elution solvent and carotenoid is to be eluted as a useful component, elution can be performed by heating the mixture to 80 to 95°C and stirring for 15 to 60 minutes. .

[Processing step (S4)]
In the treatment step (S4), the useful component eluate obtained in the elution step (S3) is treated with a material containing diatomaceous earth to remove microorganisms from the useful component eluate. As a result, a microorganism-free effective ingredient eluate is obtained as a tobacco flavoring liquid. The processing step (S4) can be performed in the same manner as the processing step (S4) described in the method of the first embodiment.

The microorganisms removed in the treatment step (S4) are microorganisms contained in the yeast and tobacco supernatant used in the culture step (S2). Examples of microorganisms contained in tobacco supernatant include yeast, mold, and microalgae. In Example 3, which will be described later, the clarity of the tobacco flavor liquid has been demonstrated. Therefore, in the treatment step (S4), all microorganisms contained in the yeast and tobacco supernatant used in the culture step (S2) can be removed. At the same time, it is thought that fine particles other than microorganisms, such as fine particles with a size of 1 μm or more, can also be removed.

The method according to the second embodiment may further include removing the organic solvent from the "microorganism-free useful ingredient eluate" after obtaining the "microorganism-free useful ingredient eluate". Removal of the organic solvent can be carried out by general methods such as vacuum concentration, normal pressure concentration and spray drying.

<1-3. Effect>
According to the method of the present invention, microorganisms such as yeast can be easily extracted from a tobacco extract ("tobacco supernatant" in the first embodiment, "useful ingredient eluate" in the second embodiment) without impairing tobacco flavor. method can be removed. As a result, a tobacco flavor liquid with a reduced amount of microorganisms ("microorganism-free tobacco supernatant" in the first embodiment, and "microorganism-free effective ingredient eluate" in the second embodiment) can be easily prepared without impairing the tobacco flavor. It can be manufactured by a method.

The effects of the present invention will be described in detail below.
In the method of the present invention, in order to remove microorganisms from the tobacco extract, it is only necessary to treat the tobacco extract with a material containing an inorganic porous material, and microfiltration is not required. Microfiltration requires time for filtration, and maintenance of the device, such as removing clogging of the filter membrane, is labor intensive. The method of the present invention has little resistance even when the tobacco extract is passed through a layer containing an inorganic porous material, is clearly simpler than the treatment with a microfiltration membrane, and is excellent in terms of production efficiency. ing.

In addition, since the method of the present invention can remove microorganisms to the same extent as treatment with a microfiltration membrane, it is excellent in terms of microorganism removal efficiency (see Examples 1 and 3 below).

In addition, although the method of the present invention removes microorganisms and microparticles of the same size as microorganisms, it does not remove tobacco flavor components, so the tobacco flavor liquid of the present invention is excellent as a tobacco flavor source for flavor inhalers (see below). (see Example 4).

In particular, the method according to the second embodiment involves culturing yeast in tobacco supernatant, then eluting useful components contained in yeast cells into the tobacco supernatant, and extracting yeast from the resulting useful component eluate. Remove. Therefore, according to the method of the second embodiment, it is possible to produce a tobacco flavor liquid containing a large amount of useful ingredients and having a reduced amount of microorganisms.

<2. Tobacco flavor liquid>
According to another aspect, there is provided a liquid tobacco flavor produced by the above-described "method for producing a liquid tobacco flavor".

As noted above, the tobacco flavoring liquid may be any of the following:
(i) a "microorganism-free tobacco supernatant" obtained by the method of the first embodiment; and (ii) a "microorganism-free useful ingredient-containing liquid" obtained by the method of the second embodiment.

Therefore, the liquid tobacco flavor produced by the above-described "method for producing a liquid tobacco flavor" includes the above two types of products as specific examples.

As described above, since the tobacco flavor liquid is free of microorganisms, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that the composition of the tobacco flavor liquid will change due to the metabolism of microorganisms. superior in terms of sexuality.

Above all, the tobacco flavoring liquid obtained by the method according to the second embodiment can contain a large amount of useful ingredients because it is produced by the method according to the second embodiment. Therefore, when such a tobacco flavor liquid is incorporated into a flavor inhaler, the effects of the useful ingredients can be remarkably exhibited in the flavor inhaler. For example, if the useful ingredient is a flavor-contributing ingredient, the tobacco flavor liquid can contain a large amount of the flavor-contributing ingredient. can be done.

The liquid tobacco flavor produced by the above-mentioned "method for producing a liquid tobacco flavor" can be incorporated into tobacco products such as flavor inhalers according to known techniques. An example of using the tobacco flavoring liquid will be described below.

For example, the tobacco flavor liquid can be used by adding it to tobacco materials (eg, deboned leaves and leaf tobacco) and drying the resulting mixture.

Alternatively, the tobacco flavor liquid is added to the tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1) described above, and the obtained mixture is used to prepare tobacco moldings such as sheet tobacco and tobacco granules, and the tobacco moldings are used as tobacco products. can be used as a tobacco flavor source.

Alternatively, the tobacco flavor liquid is added to the tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1) described above, the resulting mixture is dried and pulverized to prepare tobacco powder, and the tobacco powder is used as a tobacco material (for example, deboned tobacco). It can be used by adding to leaves and leaf tobacco).

Alternatively, the tobacco flavor liquid is added to the tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1) described above, the resulting mixture is dried and pulverized to prepare tobacco powder, and the tobacco powder is suspended in water to obtain a tobacco slurry. and adding the tobacco slurry to a tobacco material (eg, deboned leaf or leaf tobacco).

Alternatively, the tobacco flavor liquid can be encapsulated according to known techniques, and the resulting flavor capsules can be incorporated into the filter portion of the tobacco product.

<3. Tobacco Additive>
As described above, the tobacco flavor liquid may be used in combination with the tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1) described above. Therefore, according to another aspect,
a tobacco flavoring liquid produced by the above-described "method for producing a tobacco flavoring liquid";
Tobacco additives are provided, including tobacco residue obtained when tobacco supernatant is obtained in the above-mentioned "method for producing tobacco flavor liquid".

Specific examples of tobacco additives are described below.
For example, the tobacco additive may be a product obtained by drying a mixture of tobacco flavor liquid and tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1). This product can be used as a tobacco flavor source in tobacco products.

Alternatively, the tobacco additive is a tobacco molded product obtained by molding a mixture of the tobacco flavor liquid and the tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1) into a specific shape such as a sheet shape or a granule shape. may The tobacco molded body can be used as a tobacco flavor source for tobacco products.

Alternatively, the tobacco additive may be tobacco powder obtained by drying and pulverizing a mixture of tobacco flavor liquid and tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1). Tobacco powder can be added to tobacco materials (eg, deboned leaves and leaf tobacco) to enhance the flavor of the tobacco materials.

Alternatively, the tobacco additive is obtained by drying a mixture of the tobacco flavor liquid and the tobacco residue obtained in the extraction step (S1), pulverizing it into powder, and suspending the obtained powder in water. It may be a tobacco slurry. Tobacco slurry can be added to tobacco materials (for example, deboned leaves and leaf tobacco) to enhance the flavor of the tobacco materials.

Tobacco additives may contain additives such as binders, pH adjusters, preservatives, and antioxidants as necessary.

<4. Flavor sucker>
The aforementioned "tobacco flavor liquid" or the aforementioned "tobacco additive" can be incorporated into any tobacco product. As a typical example, the above-mentioned "tobacco flavor liquid" or the above-mentioned "tobacco additive" can be incorporated into a flavor inhaler such as a combustion type flavor inhaler or a heating type flavor inhaler. That is, according to another aspect, a flavor inhaler containing the aforementioned "tobacco flavor liquid" or a flavor inhaler containing the aforementioned "tobacco additive" is provided.

The above "tobacco flavoring liquid" or the above "tobacco additive" can be incorporated at any position in the tobacco product as long as the user can enjoy an enhanced flavor when using the tobacco product.

Examples of combustion-type flavor inhalers include cigarettes, pipes, pipes, cigars, and cigarillos. An example of a combustion type flavor inhaler, ie, a typical cigarette configuration is shown in FIG.

The combustion type flavor inhaler 1 shown in FIG.
a tobacco rod 2 including a tobacco filler 2a and a tobacco wrapping paper 2b wrapped around the tobacco filler 2a;
a filter 3 comprising a filter medium 3a and a plug wrapper 3b wrapped around the filter medium 3a;
It includes a tobacco rod 2 and a tipping paper 4 wound on the filter 3 so as to connect the tobacco rod 2 and the filter 3 .

The tobacco rod 2 includes tobacco fillers 2a such as cut tobacco and tobacco moldings. A tobacco rod can have, for example, a diameter of 5-10 mm and a length of 40-80 mm, similar to a normal cigarette.

The filter 3 is a so-called plain filter consisting of a single filter medium 3a. The filter medium 3a can be made of a filter medium such as acetate tow, like ordinary cigarettes. The filter 3 has approximately the same diameter as the tobacco rod 2, and the length can be, for example, 15-40 mm, similar to a normal cigarette. The plug wrapper 3b may have a thickness of 10 to 100 μm and may or may not be breathable, but it is common to use breathable paper.

The tipping paper 4 is adhered with an adhesive so as to cover the entire plug wrapper 3b and part of the cigarette paper 2b. The tipping paper 4 may have, for example, a length (width) in the axial direction of the tobacco rod of 20-50 mm and a thickness of 10-100 μm. As with ordinary cigarettes, the tipping paper 4 may be perforated with a single row, a plurality of rows, or a large number of irregular small holes for ventilation (ventilation holes) along the circumference of the cigarette.

In the case of the combustion type flavor inhaler 1 shown in FIG. 3, the "tobacco flavor liquid" and the "tobacco additive" can be incorporated into the tobacco filling material 2a or filter material 3a, for example.

Next, an example of a heating flavor inhaler will be described. As an example of a heating type flavor inhaler,
a carbon heat source inhaler that heats the tobacco filler with the heat of combustion of the carbon heat source (see e.g. WO2006/073065);
an electrically heated inhaler comprising a tobacco stick containing a tobacco filler and a heating device for electrically heating the tobacco stick (see e.g. WO2010/110226); or heating a liquid aerosol source with a heater to produce an aerosol. A liquid atomizing inhaler that generates and inhales the flavor derived from the tobacco filler along with the aerosol (see, for example, WO2015/046385)
etc.

An example of a heating flavor inhaler will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a heating flavor inhaler. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a tobacco stick. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the aerosol generator.

As shown in FIG. 4, the heating flavor inhaler 100
a tobacco stick 110 comprising a tobacco filler and an aerosol source;
An aerosol generating device 120 to which a tobacco stick 110 is detachably attached, wherein the tobacco stick 110 is heated to generate an aerosol from an aerosol source, and the flavor component is released from the tobacco filler by the action of the aerosol. and

The tobacco stick 110 is a replaceable cartridge and has a columnar shape extending along the longitudinal direction. Tobacco stick 110 is configured to generate an aerosol and a flavor component by being heated while inserted into aerosol generator 120 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the tobacco stick 110 forms a base portion 11A including a filler 111 and a first wrapping paper 112 around which the filler 111 is wound, and an end opposite to the base portion 11A. and a mouthpiece portion 11B. The base material portion 11A and the mouthpiece portion 11B are connected by the second wrapping paper 113 .

The mouthpiece portion 11B has a paper tube portion 114 , a filter portion 115 , and a hollow segment portion 116 arranged between the paper tube portion 114 and the filter portion 115 . The paper tube portion 114 is a paper tube formed by rolling paper into a cylindrical shape, and the inside is hollow. Filter portion 115 includes a filter medium such as acetate tow. Hollow segment portion 116 includes a packed bed having one or more hollow channels. The filter material of filter portion 115 and the filling layer of hollow segment portion 116 are connected by being covered with plug wrapper 117 . The packed bed is composed of fibers, and since the fibers have a high packing density, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow channels during suction, and hardly flow inside the packed bed. In the tobacco stick 110, when it is desired to reduce the reduction of the aerosol component due to filtration in the filter portion 115, shortening the length of the filter portion 115 and replacing it with the hollow segment portion 116 is effective for increasing the delivery amount of the aerosol. is.

The mouthpiece 11B is composed of three segments, but the mouthpiece 11B may be composed of one or two segments, or may be composed of four or more segments. For example, the hollow segment portion 116 may be omitted, and the paper tube portion 114 and the filter portion 115 may be arranged adjacent to each other to form the mouthpiece portion 11B.

The longitudinal length of the tobacco stick 110 is preferably 40-90 mm, more preferably 50-75 mm, and even more preferably 50-60 mm. The circumference of the tobacco stick 110 is preferably 15-25 mm, more preferably 17-24 mm, and even more preferably 20-23 mm. In the longitudinal direction of the tobacco stick 110, the length of the base material portion 11A is 20 mm, the length of the paper tube portion 114 is 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment portion 116 is 8 mm, and the length of the filter portion 115 is 7 mm. However, the length of each of these segments can be changed as appropriate according to manufacturability, required quality, and the like.

The filler 111 includes a tobacco filler and an aerosol source. The aerosol source is heated at a predetermined temperature to generate an aerosol. Aerosol sources can include, for example, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol source in the filling 111 is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% by mass or more, preferably 10% by mass or more, from the viewpoint of generating a sufficient amount of aerosol and imparting a good flavor and taste. and is usually 50% by mass or less, preferably 20% by mass or less.

As described above, the tobacco filler has, for example, the form of shredded tobacco or the form of molded tobacco. When the tobacco filler has the form of shredded tobacco, it may be in the form of shredded tobacco obtained by cutting leaf tobacco (that is, aged tobacco leaves) to a width of, for example, 0.8 to 1.2 mm. good. Alternatively, when the tobacco filler has the shape of a sheet tobacco, it may have the shape of an elongated sheet tobacco obtained by chopping the sheet tobacco to a width of, for example, 0.8 to 1.2 mm, Alternatively, it may have the form of a corrugated sheet tobacco obtained by gathering the sheet tobacco without chopping it.

The content of the filler 111 in the tobacco stick 110 is, for example, 200-400 mg, preferably 250-320 mg, when the base portion 11A has a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm. The water content of the filler 111 is, for example, 8-18% by mass, preferably 10-16% by mass. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of winding stains and improves the winding suitability during manufacturing of the base material portion 11A.

The first wrapping paper 112, the second wrapping paper 113, and the plug wrapper 117 can be the same as the cigarette wrapping paper, tipping paper, and plug wrapper used in cigarettes, respectively.

In the case of the tobacco stick 110 shown in FIG. 5, the "tobacco flavoring liquid" and the "tobacco additive" can be incorporated into the filler 111 or the filter material of the filter portion 115, for example.

As shown in FIG. 6, the aerosol generator 120 has an insertion hole 130 into which the tobacco stick 110 can be inserted. That is, the aerosol generator 120 has an inner cylindrical member 132 that forms the insertion hole 130 . The inner tubular member 132 may be made of a thermally conductive member such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS).

Also, the aerosol generator 120 may have a lid portion 140 that closes the insertion hole 130 . Lid portion 140 is configured to be slidable between a state in which insertion hole 130 is closed and a state in which insertion hole 130 is exposed (see FIG. 4).

The aerosol generator 120 may have an air flow path 160 communicating with the insertion hole 130 . One end of the air channel 160 is connected to the insertion hole 130 , and the other end of the air channel 160 communicates with the outside (outside air) of the aerosol generator 120 at a location different from the insertion hole 130 .

The aerosol generator 120 may have a lid portion 170 that covers the end of the air flow path 160 on the side communicating with the outside air. The lid portion 170 may cover the end of the air flow path 160 on the side communicating with the outside air, or may expose the air flow path 160 .

The lid part 170 does not airtightly block the air flow path 160 even when it covers the air flow path 160 . That is, even when the lid portion 170 covers the air flow path 160 , outside air can flow into the air flow path 160 through the vicinity of the lid portion 170 .

With the tobacco stick 110 inserted into the aerosol generator 120, the user holds one end of the tobacco stick 110, specifically, the mouthpiece 11B shown in FIG. 5, and performs a suction operation. Outside air flows into the air flow path 160 due to the suction action of the user. The air that has flowed into the air channel 160 passes through the tobacco stick 110 inside the insertion hole 130 and is guided into the mouth of the user.

The aerosol generator 120 may have a temperature sensor inside the air flow path 160 or on the outer surface of the wall forming the air flow path 160 . The temperature sensor may be, for example, a thermistor, a thermocouple, or the like. When the user sucks the mouthpiece portion 11B of the tobacco stick 110, the internal temperature of the air channel 160 or the air channel 160 is formed by the influence of the air flowing in the air channel 160 from the lid portion 170 side toward the heater 30 side. The temperature of the wall where the A temperature sensor can detect the user's sucking action by measuring this temperature drop.

The aerosol generator 120 has a battery 10, a control unit 20, and a heater 30. Battery 10 stores power for use in aerosol generator 120 . The battery 10 may be a rechargeable secondary battery. Battery 10 may be, for example, a lithium-ion battery.

The heater 30 may be provided around the inner cylindrical member 132 . The space accommodating the heater 30 and the space accommodating the battery 10 may be separated from each other by the partition wall 180 . As a result, the air heated by heater 30 can be prevented from flowing into the space housing battery 10 . Therefore, the temperature rise of battery 10 can be suppressed.

The heater 30 preferably has a tubular shape capable of heating the outer periphery of the columnar tobacco stick 110 . The heater 30 may be, for example, a film heater. The film heater may have a pair of film-like substrates and a resistance heating element sandwiched between the pair of substrates. The film-like substrate is preferably made of a material with excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation, typically made of polyimide. The resistance heating element is preferably made of one or more metal materials such as copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, platinum rhodium, etc. For example, it can be formed of a stainless steel base material. Furthermore, the resistance heating element may be plated with copper on the connection part and its lead part in order to connect with the power supply by flexible printed circuit (FPC).

Preferably, a heat-shrinkable tube may be provided outside the heater 30 . A heat-shrinkable tube is a tube that shrinks radially by heat, and is made of, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer. The heater 30 is pressed against the inner cylindrical member 132 by the contraction action of the heat-shrinkable tube. As a result, the intimate contact between the heater 30 and the inner tubular member 132 is enhanced, so that the conductivity of heat from the heater 30 to the tobacco stick 110 via the inner tubular member 132 is enhanced.

The aerosol generator 120 may have a cylindrical heat insulator radially outside the heater 30, preferably outside the heat-shrinkable tube. The heat insulating material can serve to prevent the outer surface of the housing of the aerosol generating device 120 from reaching excessively high temperatures by blocking the heat of the heater 30 . Insulators can be made from aerogels, such as silica aerogels, carbon aerogels, alumina aerogels, for example. The airgel as a thermal insulator may typically be a silicic aerogel with high thermal insulation performance and relatively low manufacturing costs. However, the heat insulating material may be a fiber heat insulating material such as glass wool or rock wool, or may be a foamed heat insulating material such as urethane foam or phenol foam. Alternatively, the insulation may be vacuum insulation.

The insulating material may be provided between the inner tubular member 132 facing the tobacco stick 110 and the outer tubular member 134 outside the insulating material. The outer tubular member 134 may be made of a thermally conductive member such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS). It is preferable that the heat insulating material is provided within a closed space.

The control unit 20 may include a control board, CPU, memory, and the like. Also, the aerosol generator 120 may have a notification unit for notifying the user of various information under the control of the control unit 20 . The notification unit may be a light-emitting element, such as an LED, or a vibrating element, or a combination thereof.

When the control unit 20 detects the user's activation request, the control unit 20 starts supplying power from the battery 10 to the heater 30 . The user's activation request is made, for example, by the user's operation of a push button or slide switch, or by the user's suction action. A user activation request may be made by pressing a push button 150 . More specifically, the user's activation request may be made by pressing the push button 150 while the lid 140 is open. Alternatively, the user activation request may be made by sensing the user's sucking action. A user's sucking action can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor as described above.

<5. Preferred embodiment>
Preferred embodiments are summarized below.
[A1] A method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid, which comprises treating a tobacco extract with a material containing an inorganic porous material to remove microorganisms from the tobacco extract.

[A2] obtaining a tobacco supernatant by extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent;
A method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid, comprising treating the tobacco supernatant with a material containing an inorganic porous material to obtain a microorganism-free tobacco supernatant.
[A3] extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant;
culturing yeast in the tobacco supernatant to obtain a yeast-containing culture;
The yeast-containing culture medium is mixed with an elution solvent containing an organic solvent, and the useful components contained in the cells of the yeast are eluted from the yeast contained in the resulting mixture into the liquid portion of the mixture. to obtain a useful component eluate;
A method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid, comprising treating the useful ingredient eluate with a material containing an inorganic porous material to obtain a microorganism-free useful ingredient eluate.

[A4] The method according to [A1], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through a layer containing an inorganic porous material.
[A5] The method according to [A2], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a layer containing an inorganic porous material.
[A6] The method according to [A3], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the useful ingredient eluate through a layer containing an inorganic porous material.

[A7] The method according to [A1], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through a molded body containing an inorganic porous material.
[A8] The method according to [A2], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a molded body containing an inorganic porous material.
[A9] The method according to [A3], wherein the treatment is carried out by passing the useful ingredient eluate through a molded article containing an inorganic porous material.

[A10] The method according to [A1], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through an aggregate of particles containing an inorganic porous material.
[A11] The method according to [A2], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through an aggregate of particles containing an inorganic porous material.
[A12] The method according to [A3], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the useful ingredient eluate through an aggregate of particles containing an inorganic porous material.

[A13] The method according to [A1], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through a column filled with particles containing inorganic porous material.
[A14] The method according to [A2], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco supernatant through a column filled with particles containing inorganic porous material.
[A15] The method according to [A3], wherein the treatment is performed by passing the useful ingredient eluate through a column filled with particles containing inorganic porous material.

[A16] The particles have a particle size of <400 μm, generally 10-400 μm, preferably <100 μm, more preferably 10-100 μm, more preferably 10-80 μm, more preferably 30-75 μm [A10] The method according to any one of [A15].
[A17] The method according to any one of [A1] to [A16], wherein the inorganic porous material is diatomaceous earth or zeolite.
[A18] The method according to any one of [A10] to [A17], wherein the particles containing the inorganic porous material are particles consisting only of diatomaceous earth or particles consisting only of zeolite.

[A19] The method according to any one of [A2] to [A18], wherein the tobacco material is shredded tobacco.
[A20] The method according to any one of [A2] to [A19], wherein the aqueous solvent is water or hydrous ethanol, preferably water, more preferably water at 20 to 70°C.
[A21] The yeast is a yeast belonging to the genus Rhodotorula, a yeast belonging to the genus Xanthophyllomyces, a yeast belonging to the genus Yarrowia, a yeast belonging to the genus Lipomyces, or a yeast belonging to the genus Saccharomyces. , a yeast of the genus Cyberlindnera, and a yeast of the genus Wickerhamomyces [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], which is at least one yeast selected from the group consisting of ], the method according to any one of [A15] to [A20]. .

[A22] Any one of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A21], wherein the elution solvent is an organic solvent or a mixture of an organic solvent and water the method of.
[A23] The organic solvent is an organic solvent miscible with water, preferably an alcohol miscible with water [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A22] ] The method according to any one of the above.
[A24] any one of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A23], wherein the elution solvent is an alcohol miscible with water or a hydrous alcohol thereof; described method.

[A25] The organic solvent is an organic solvent having an SP value of 10 to 14.5, preferably an alcohol having an SP value of 10 to 14.5, more preferably ethanol, isopropanol, methanol or butanol, still more preferably is ethanol or isopropanol, most preferably ethanol.
[A26] The method according to any one of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A25], wherein the elution solvent is ethanol or hydrous ethanol.
[A27] The elution solvent is such that the concentration of the organic solvent in the mixture of the yeast-containing culture medium and the elution solvent is 50% by volume or more, preferably 50 to 95% by volume, more preferably 60 to 95% by volume. %, the method according to any one of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A26], which is added to the yeast-containing culture medium.

[A28] of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A27], wherein the elution is performed by stirring a mixture of the yeast-containing culture medium and the elution solvent; 2. The method according to any one of 1.
[A29] of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A28], wherein the elution is performed by heating a mixture of the yeast-containing culture medium and the elution solvent; 2. The method according to any one of 1.
[A30] Any one of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A29] further comprising removing the organic solvent from the microorganism-free useful ingredient eluate described method.

[A31] The method according to any one of [A3], [A6], [A9], [A12], [A15] to [A30], wherein the useful ingredient is a flavor contributing ingredient.
[A32] The flavor-contributing ingredients consist of carotenoids, fatty acids, neutral fats (that is, glycerol esters of fatty acids), acetic esters, fatty acid esters, organic acids, and higher alcohols (for example, alcohols having 8 to 22 carbon atoms). The method of [A31], wherein at least one component selected from the group.

[B1] A tobacco flavor liquid obtained by the method according to any one of [A1] to [A32].
[B2] The tobacco flavor liquid according to [B1], wherein the tobacco flavor liquid is the microorganism-free tobacco supernatant described in [A2].
[B3] The tobacco flavoring liquid according to [B1], wherein the tobacco flavoring liquid is the microorganism-free effective ingredient eluate described in [A3].

[C1] a tobacco flavor liquid obtained by the method according to any one of [A2] to [A32];
tobacco residue obtained when obtaining the tobacco supernatant in the method according to any one of [A2] to [A32].
[C2] The tobacco additive according to [C1], wherein the tobacco flavor liquid is the microorganism-free tobacco supernatant described in [A2].
[C3] The tobacco additive according to [C1], wherein the tobacco flavor liquid is the microorganism-free effective ingredient eluate described in [A3].

[D1] A flavor inhaler containing the tobacco flavor liquid according to any one of [B1] to [B3].
[D2] A flavor inhaler containing the tobacco additive according to any one of [C1] to [C3].
[D3] The flavor inhaler according to [D1] or [D2], wherein the flavor inhaler is a combustion type flavor inhaler.
[D4] The flavor inhaler according to [D1] or [D2], wherein the flavor inhaler is a heating type flavor inhaler.

[Example 1]
In Example 1, the clarity of the tobacco flavor liquid produced according to the method of the present invention was evaluated.

1-1. Method Flue-cured tobacco was ground and used as the "tobacco material". Shredded yellow leaf tobacco (100 g) was pulverized with a pulverizer to a size of 100 μm or less, added with 600 mL of water at 60° C., and shaken (200 rpm for 2 hours). This extracted the water-soluble components contained in the leaf tobacco. Thereafter, the tobacco supernatant and tobacco residue were separated by suction filtration. Advantec No.60 was used as filter paper. The resulting filtrate is called "tobacco supernatant".

Tobacco supernatant was subjected to the following treatments to prepare samples.
Sample 1:
5 mL of the tobacco supernatant was passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm, length 25 mm) packed with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <354 μm) (GL Sciences Inc.) by gravity drop to obtain a column eluate. The column eluate was designated as sample 1.

Comparative sample 1:
Comparative sample 1 was tobacco supernatant.

Reference sample 1:
5 mL of the tobacco supernatant was microfiltered through a filter with a pore size of 0.2 μm. The resulting filtrate was designated as reference sample 1.

Sample 2:
100 mL of the tobacco supernatant was sterilized in an autoclave, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added to the sterilized tobacco supernatant to a concentration of 10 ⁵ cells/mL, and cultured overnight with shaking (28° C., 240 rpm). ). 5 mL of the yeast-containing culture solution obtained after culturing is passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm and length 25 mm) filled with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <354 μm) (GL Sciences Co., Ltd.) by gravity drop. An eluate was obtained. The column eluate was designated as Sample 2.

Comparative sample 2:
100 mL of the tobacco supernatant was sterilized in an autoclave, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added to the sterilized tobacco supernatant to a concentration of 10 ⁵ cells/mL, and cultured overnight with shaking (28° C., 240 rpm). ). The yeast-containing culture solution obtained after culturing was used as comparative sample 2.

Reference sample 2:
100 mL of the tobacco supernatant was sterilized in an autoclave, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added to the sterilized tobacco supernatant to a concentration of 10 ⁵ cells/mL, and cultured overnight with shaking (28° C., 240 rpm). ). 5 mL of the yeast-containing culture solution obtained after culturing was microfiltered through a filter with a pore size of 0.2 μm. The resulting filtrate was used as reference sample 2.

For each sample, the clarity was evaluated by measuring the absorbance at 600 nm using an absorptiometer. Reference Sample 1 was used as a standard of clarity for Sample 1 and Comparative Sample 1. Reference Sample 2 was used as a standard of clarity for Sample 2 and Comparative Sample 2.

1-2. Results The absorbance measurement results are shown in the table below.

The absorbance shown in Table 1 represents the difference in absorbance from the reference sample. Therefore, in Table 1, the closer the absorbance value of a sample to 0, the more equivalent the clarity of the reference sample.

The clarity of sample 1 was significantly higher than that of comparative sample 1. As a result, the tobacco supernatant was passed through a column filled with diatomaceous earth, thereby removing suspensions with large molecular weights (including microorganisms contained in the tobacco supernatant) that had reduced clarity. indicates

The clarity of sample 2 was significantly higher than that of comparative sample 2. This result indicates that passing the tobacco supernatant through a column filled with diatomaceous earth caused suspensions with large molecular weights (including microorganisms contained in the tobacco supernatant and added yeast) that had reduced clarity. has been removed.

The above results demonstrate the clarity of the tobacco flavor liquid produced by the method of the present invention. For example, it is thought that molds and bacteria can also be removed.

[Example 2]
In Example 2, the yeast concentration of the tobacco flavor liquid produced according to the method of the present invention was evaluated.

2-1. Method Tobacco supernatant was obtained according to the method described in Example 1. Tobacco supernatant was subjected to the following treatments to prepare samples.

Sample 3A:
100 mL of the tobacco supernatant was sterilized in an autoclave, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was added to the sterilized tobacco supernatant to a concentration of 10 ⁵ cells/mL, and cultured overnight with shaking (28° C., 240 rpm). ). The yeast-containing culture medium obtained after culturing was designated as sample 3A.

Sample 3B:
5 mL of the yeast-containing culture medium (Sample 3A) was passed through a column (inner diameter: 11 mm, length: 25 mm) filled with glass powder (particle size: 63-106 μm) (AS ONE Corporation) by gravity drop to obtain a column eluate. rice field. This column eluate was designated as sample 3B.

Sample 3C:
5 mL of the yeast-containing culture (Sample 3A) was passed through a column (11 mm internal diameter and 25 mm long) packed with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <105 μm) (IMERYS) by gravity drop to obtain a column eluate. rice field. This column eluate was designated as sample 3C.

Sample 3D:
5 mL of the yeast-containing culture medium (Sample 3A) was passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm and length 25 mm) filled with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <50 μm) (GL Sciences Co., Ltd.) by gravity drop, and the column was eluted. I got the liquid. This column eluate was designated as sample 3D.

Sample 3E:
5 mL of the yeast-containing culture medium (Sample 3A) was passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm and length 25 mm) filled with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <354 μm) (GL Sciences Inc.) by gravity drop, and the column was eluted. I got the liquid. This column eluate was designated as sample 3E.

Sample 3F:
5 mL of the yeast-containing culture medium (Sample 3A) was passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm and length 25 mm) filled with powdered synthetic zeolite (particle size: <75 μm) (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) by gravity drop. to obtain the column eluate. This column eluate was designated as sample 3F.

Sample 4A:
On the other hand, the yeast-containing culture medium (Sample 3A) was centrifuged to obtain a centrifugation supernatant. The centrifugation supernatant was designated as sample 4A.

Sample 4B:
5 mL of the centrifugation supernatant (Sample 4A) was passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm, length 25 mm) packed with glass powder (particle size of 63-106 μm) (AS ONE Corporation) by gravity drop to obtain a column eluate. Obtained. This column eluate was designated as sample 4B.

Sample 4C:
5 mL of the centrifugation supernatant (Sample 4A) was passed by gravity drop through a column (11 mm inner diameter and 25 mm length) packed with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <105 μm) (IMERYS) to obtain the column eluate. rice field. This column eluate was designated as sample 4C.

Sample 4D:
5 mL of the centrifugation supernatant (Sample 4A) was passed by gravity drop through a column (11 mm inner diameter and 25 mm length) packed with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <50 μm) (IMERYS) to obtain the column eluate. rice field. This column eluate was designated as sample 4D.

Sample 4E:
Column elution was performed by passing 5 mL of the centrifugation supernatant (Sample 4A) through a column (11 mm inner diameter and 25 mm length) packed with powdered diatomaceous earth (particle size: <354 μm) (GL Sciences Inc.) by gravity drop. I got the liquid. This column eluate was designated as sample 4E.

Sample 4F:
5 mL of the centrifugation supernatant (Sample 4A) was passed by gravity drop through a column (11 mm inner diameter and 25 mm length) packed with powdered synthetic zeolite (particle size: <75 μm) (Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.). to obtain the column eluate. This column eluate was designated as sample 4F.

The number of yeast cells in samples 3A-3F and 4A-4F was measured by the colony counting method.

2-2. Results The results of measuring the number of yeast cells are shown in the table below.

It was confirmed that the yeast was definitely removed when the tobacco supernatant was passed through a diatomaceous earth packed column. Varying the particle size of the diatomaceous earth was able to similarly remove the yeast. It was also confirmed that the yeast was definitely removed when the tobacco supernatant was passed through the zeolite packed column. On the other hand, the yeast could not be removed when the tobacco supernatant was passed through a column filled with glass powder.

This result shows that treating tobacco supernatant with an inorganic porous material according to the method of the present invention can remove added yeast to an undetectable level. From this result and the result of Example 1, it is considered that the method of the present invention can remove not only the added yeast but also all microorganisms contained in the tobacco supernatant, such as molds and bacteria.

[Example 3]
In Example 3, the method according to the second embodiment was performed.

3-1. Method Sample 5:
According to the method according to the second embodiment, the extraction step (S1), the culture step (S2) and the elution step (S3) are performed, and 5 mL of the obtained useful ingredient eluate is added to powdery diatomaceous earth (particle size: <354 μm). (GL Sciences Co., Ltd.) was passed through a column (inner diameter 11 mm, length 25 mm) by gravity drop. The column eluate was designated as Sample 5.

Comparative sample 5:
The extracting step (S1), the culturing step (S2), and the eluting step (S3) were carried out according to the method of the second embodiment, and the obtained useful ingredient eluate was designated as comparative sample 5.

Reference sample 5:
According to the method according to the second embodiment, the extraction step (S1), the culture step (S2) and the elution step (S3) were performed, and 5 mL of the obtained useful ingredient eluate was microfiltered through a filter with a pore size of 0.2 μm. The resulting filtrate was used as reference sample 5.

Details of the extraction step (S1), culture step (S2) and elution step (S3) are described below.

Extraction step (S1)
Flue-cured leaf tobacco was ground and used as the "tobacco material". Shredded yellow leaf tobacco (100 g) was pulverized with a pulverizer to a size of 100 μm or less, added with 600 mL of water at 60° C., and shaken (200 rpm for 2 hours). This extracted the water-soluble components contained in the leaf tobacco. After that, solid-liquid separation was performed by filtration. Tobacco supernatant and tobacco residue were thus obtained.

Culture step (S2)
Yeast belonging to the genus Saccharomyces (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was added to 3 mL of the obtained tobacco supernatant at a concentration of 10 ⁵ cells/mL, and the yeast was cultured in the tobacco supernatant. Cultivation was carried out by shaking culture (240 rpm) for 24 hours at 28° C. under aerobic conditions. The "mixture of yeast and tobacco supernatant" obtained after culturing is called "yeast-containing culture solution".

Elution step (S3)
Twenty-four hours after the start of the culture, 7 mL of ethanol was added as an elution solvent to 3 mL of the yeast-containing culture medium. Specifically, ethanol was added in an amount such that the concentration of ethanol in the mixture of yeast-containing culture medium and ethanol was 70% by volume.

For each sample, the clarity was evaluated by measuring the absorbance at 600 nm using an absorptiometer. Reference Sample 5 was used as a standard of clarity for Sample 5 and Comparative Sample 5.

3-2. Results The absorbance measurement results are shown in the table below.

The absorbance shown in Table 3 represents the difference in absorbance with reference sample 5. Therefore, in Table 3, the closer the absorbance value of the sample to 0, the more equivalent the clarity to the reference sample 5 is.

The clarity of sample 5 was significantly higher than that of comparative sample 5. This result shows that suspensions with large molecular weights (tobacco supernatant microbes and added yeast) have been removed.

[Example 4]
In Example 4, a sensory evaluation was performed.

4-1. Method As described in Example 1, Sample 1, Comparative Sample 1, Reference Sample 1, Sample 2, Comparative Sample 2, and Reference Sample 2 were prepared and used as tobacco flavor liquids. 1 mL of each sample was mixed with 1 mL of propylene glycol, atomized and inhaled using a commercially available electronic cigarette, and its flavor and taste was evaluated.

4-2. Results Between Sample 1 and Comparative Sample 1, no difference in flavor and taste was detectable. Also, no difference in flavor and taste could be detected between Sample 2 and Comparative Sample 2. These results show that when the tobacco supernatant is passed through a diatomaceous earth column, suspended solids with large molecular weights are removed, but low-molecular-weight compounds that affect flavor and taste are not removed. It shows that it does not affect the flavor and taste of smoking.

No difference in flavor and taste between sample 1 and reference sample 1 was detectable. Also, no difference in flavor and taste could be detected between Sample 2 and Reference Sample 2. These results indicate that there is no difference in the flavor and taste of the obtained tobacco flavor liquid between the case of passing through a diatomaceous earth column and the case of performing microfiltration.

Claims

A method for producing a tobacco flavor liquid, comprising treating a tobacco extract with a material containing an inorganic porous material to remove microorganisms from the tobacco extract.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through a layer containing an inorganic porous material.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through a molded body containing an inorganic porous body.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the treatment is performed by passing the tobacco extract through an aggregate of particles containing an inorganic porous material.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the inorganic porous material is diatomaceous earth or zeolite.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tobacco extract is a tobacco supernatant obtained by extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent.
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the tobacco extract is a useful ingredient eluate obtained by a method comprising the following steps (a) to (c):
(a) extracting water-soluble components contained in the tobacco material from the tobacco material with an aqueous solvent to obtain a tobacco supernatant;
(b) culturing yeast in the tobacco supernatant to obtain a yeast-containing culture medium; and (c) mixing the yeast-containing culture medium with an elution solvent containing an organic solvent, and adding A useful ingredient eluate is obtained by eluting the useful ingredients contained in the cells of the yeast from the contained yeast into the liquid portion of the mixture.
A tobacco flavor liquid obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
A flavor inhaler containing the tobacco flavor liquid according to claim 8.
A tobacco flavor liquid obtained by the method according to claim 6 or 7;
tobacco residue obtained when obtaining the tobacco supernatant in the method of claim 6 or 7.
A flavor inhaler containing the tobacco additive according to claim 10.