Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02472386 2007-08-31
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CIGARETTE AND CIGARETTE FILTER CONTAINING A BASIC
AMINO ACID OR A BASIC AMINO ACID SALT
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cigarette low
in the amounts of aldehydes contained in the mainstream
smoke and to a cigarette filter that permits lowering
the amounts of aldehydes contained in the mainstream
smoke of a cigarette.
Background Art
Various chemical components are contained in
the mainstream smoke inhaled by the smoker in smoking
a cigarette. Among these chemical components, it
was difficult to remove by adsorption the aldehydes
represented by formaldehyde by the ordinary cigarette
filter. Therefore, it is desirable to remove the
aldehydes from the mainstream smoke of the cigarette.
It was attempted in the past to use various
additives in the cigarette filter in order to remove by
adsorption the aldehydes contained in the mainstream
smoke of the cigarette. However, the use of the
additives available in the past gives rise to problems.
For example, the taste of the cigarette is impaired.
An object of the present invention is to provide
a cigarette and a cigarette filter, which permit
effectively lowering the aldehyde content in the
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mainstream smoke of a cigarette and which also permit
suppressing the detrimental effects such as degradation
of the cigarette taste.
Disclosure of Invention
According to a first aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a cigarette containing
a basic amino acid or a basic amino acid salt.
According to a second aspect of the present
invention, there is provided a cigarette filter
containing a basic amino acid or a basic amino acid
salt.
In the present invention, it is desirable for
a basic amino acid or a basic amino acid salt to be
contained in an amount of at least 1 mg/cigarette.
In the present invention, it is preferable for the basic amino acid or
the basic amino acid salt to be contained in the cigarette or the cigarette
filter in the form of an aqueous solution. It is also preferable for the
cigarette
or the cigarette filter of the present invention to further contain a
surfactant.
The present invention also concerns a cigarette filter containing a
basic amino acid or a basic amino acid salt selected from the group
consisting of ornithine, ornithine salt, citrulline, citrulline salt,
contained in
an amount of at least 1 mg/cigarette.
Brief Description of Drawings
FIG. 1 schematically shows the construction of
an apparatus for measuring formaldehyde contained in
the mainstream smoke of a cigarette, which was used in
the Examples of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the
construction of a cigarette used in the Examples of
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the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the
construction of a cigarette filter used in another
Example of the present invention.
Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
As a result of extensive research conducted from
various viewpoints in an attempt to lower the aldehyde
content in the mainstream smoke of a cigarette, the
present inventors have found that a basic amino acid
or a basic amino acid salt is effective in lowering
the aldehyde content in the mainstream smoke of the
cigarette. The basic amino acid or the basic amino
acid salt includes, for example, arginine, arginine
salt, lysine, lysine salt, histidine, histidine salt,
ornithine, ornithine salt, citrulline, citrulline salt,
hydroxyzine and hydroxyzine salt. Particularly,
arginine and a salt thereof are admitted as food
additives.
In the present invention, that portion of the
cigarette to which the basic amino acid or the basic
amino acid salt is added is not particularly limited.
For example, the basic amino acid or the basic amino
acid salt can be added to any of the cut tobacco, the
cigarette wrapper and the filter.
It is possible for the cigarette filter of the
present invention to be a filter attached to the
inhaling side of the tobacco portion of the cigarette
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or to be a filter in the form of a cigarette holder.
In the cigarette or the cigarette filter of the
present invention, the basic amino acid or the basic
amino acid salt is contained in an amount of at least
1 mg/cigarette. If the amount of the basic amino acid
or the basic amino acid salt is smaller than the amount
noted above, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient
effect of lowering the aldehyde content in the
mainstream smoke of the cigarette.
If the basic amino acid or the basic amino acid
salt is used in the presence of water, the effect of
lowering the aldehyde content in the mainstream smoke
of the cigarette can be increased in the present
invention.
The effect of lowering the aldehyde content in the
mainstream smoke of the cigarette can also be increased
in the case where the basic amino acid or the basic
amino acid salt is used together with a surfactant.
It is considered reasonable to understand that
an aqueous solution containing a surfactant and a basic
amino acid or a basic amino acid salt exhibits
an improved wettability so as to permit the basic amino
acid or the basic amino acid salt to be dispersed
sufficiently, with the result that the aldehyde content
in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette is lowered.
The surfactant used in the present invention includes
ionic surfactants such as potassium sorbate, sodium
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oleate and sodium laurate, and nonionic surfactants
such as sucrose laurate, sucrose myristate, sucrose
palmitate, and sucrose stearate, though the surfactant
used in the present invention is not limited to those
5 exemplified above.
(Examples)
In the method of measuring the aldehydes contained
in the mainstream smoke of a cigarette, which was
used in the following Examples, the derivative of
2,4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine (DNPH), a trapping
substance, was measured by high-speed liquid
chromatography (HPLC). The substances that can be
measured simultaneously by this method are eight
components including formaldehyde, acetaldehyde,
acetone, acrolein, propionaldehyde, crotonaldehyde,
methyl ethyl ketone and n-butylaldehyde. In the
following Examples, the description is directed to
formaldehyde among the aldehydes (carbonyl compounds)
that were to be measured.
In the first step, a trapping solution was
prepared by dissolving 9.51 g of 2,4-dinitrophenyl
hydrazine (DNPH) in 1L of acetonitrile, followed by
adding 5.6 mL of 60% perchloric acid and subsequently
diluting the resultant solution with ultra pure water
to 2L.
The construction of the measuring apparatus will
now be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown
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in FIG. 1, a DNPH trapping solution 12 is put in
a Drechsel type trap 11. The Drechsel type trap 11
had an inner volume of 250 mL, the amount of the DNPH
trapping solution was 100 mL, and the dead volume was
150 mL. The Drechsel type trap 11 was put in an ice
water bath 13 so as to cool the trap 11. The lower end
of a glass pipe 14 having a cigarette 1 mounted in the
tip is dipped in the trapping solution 12 housed in the
Drechsel type trap 11. Further, a glass pipe 15 having
a Cambridge pad 16 mounted thereto is mounted to
communicate with the dead volume of the Drechsel type
trap 11, and a smoking machine 17 was connected to the
Cambridge pad 16.
The cigarette 1 was attached to the glass pipe 14
so as to permit the cigarette 1 to be automatically
smoked under the standard smoking conditions specified
in ISO standards. To be more specific, the operation
of sucking 35 mL of the smoke in a single puff for two
seconds for a single cigarette was repeated at an
interval of 58 seconds. While the mainstream smoke
was being bubbled, formaldehyde was converted into
a derivative of DNPH. Two cigarettes were used for
the measurement.
The formaldehyde derivative thus formed was
measured by HPLC. In the first step, the trapping
solution was filtered, followed by diluting the
filtered trapping solution with a Trizma Base solution
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(4 mL of trapping solution : 6 mL of Trizma Base
solution). Then, the diluted solution was measured by
HPLC. The measuring conditions of the HPLC were as
follows:
Column: HP LiChrospher 100RP-18(5 )250 X 4 mm
Guard column: HP LiChrospher 100RP-18(5 )4 X 4 mm
Column temperature: 30 C
Detection wavelength: DAD 356 nm
Injection amount: 20 L
Mobile phase: Gradients by three phases (solution
A: ultra pure aqueous solution containing 30% of
acetonitrile, 10% of tetrahydrofuran and 1% of IPA;
solution B: ultra pure aqueous solution containing 65%
of acetonitrile, 1% of tetrahydrofuran and 1% of IPA;
solution C: 100% of acetonitrile).
The construction of the cigarette used as a
sample will now be described with reference to the
cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 2. As shown in
FIG. 2, the cigarette having comprised a cigarette
section 20 in which cut tobacco 21 was wrapped with
a cigarette wrapper 22, and a filter section 30 in
which a filter 31 was wrapped with a forming paper 32.
The filter section 30 was mounted on the cigarette
section 20 by using a tipping paper 40. It is possible
to use, for example, cellulose acetate tow as the
material of the filter.
Incidentally, it is possible to use a plurality
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of divided plugs of the filter. In this case, the
individual filter plugs are wrapped with an individual
plug wrap paper, followed by wrapping integrally the
filter plugs with a forming paper so as to obtain the
filter section 30.
In testing a cigarette prepared by using a filter
for the testing having a basic amino acid or a basic
amino acid salt added thereto, a tobacco section
was taken out by cutting the acetate filter from
a cigarette available on the market, which contained
6 mg of tar, and a sample was prepared by connecting
the tobacco section to the filter for the testing.
An atomizer was used for adding a basic amino acid or
a basic amino acid salt to the filter for the testing.
Also, where a basic amino acid or a basic amino acid
salt was added to the cut tobacco, the cut tobacco was
once taken out of a cigarette available on the market.
Then, a basic amino acid or a basic amino acid salt was
added to the cut tobacco by using a sprayer, followed
by wrapping again the cut tobacco with a cigarette
wrapper so as to obtain a tobacco section sample.
Incidentally, in respect of a tobacco section
prepared by cutting away the filter section of a
cigarette available on the market, which contained 6 mg
of tar, the formaldehyde content in the mainstream
smoke of the cigarette was measured by the measuring
method described above with the number of puffs set at
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7. The formaldehyde content was found to be 110 u g.
Example 1:
An acetate filter without a plasticizer was
prepared as base filter A. Also, a filter for the
testing was prepared by adding 35 mg of an aqueous
solution containing 10% by weight of arginine to base
filter A by using an atomizer, followed by drying
the base filter A for 48 hours, the prepared filter
containing 3.5 mg of arginine. Likewise, another
filter for the testing was prepared by adding 35 mg
of an aqueous solution containing 10% by weight of
arginine glutamate to base filter A by using an
atomizer, followed by drying base filter A for
48 hours, the prepared filter containing 3.5 mg of
arginine glutamate.
Each of the filters thus prepared was connected to
the tobacco section noted above, and the formaldehyde
content (FA) in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette
was measured by the measuring method described above.
Table 1 shows the results. As apparent from Table 1,
the cigarette using the filter prepared by adding
arginine or arginine glutamate to base filter A
exhibits a sufficient effect of lowering the
formaldehyde content in the mainstream smoke of
the cigarette, compared with the cigarette using base
filter A.
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Table 1
FA filtering
[ u g] rate [%]
base filter A 36.5 66.8
addition of 3.5 mg of
21.9 80.3
arginine
addition of 3.5 mg of
28.3 74.3
arginine glutamate
Example 2:
Base filter B was prepared by adding 6% by weight
of triacetin as a plasticizer to base filter A. Base
5 filter B is equal to tl.ze filter used in the cigarette
product. Also, a filter for the testing was prepared
by adding 35 mg of an aqueous solution containing 10%
by weight of arginine to base filter B, followed by
drying base filter B for 48 hours, the prepared filter
10 containing 3.5 mg of arginine. Likewise, another
filter for the testing was prepared by adding 35 mg
of an aqueous solution containing 10% by weight of
arginine glutamate to base filter B, followed by drying
base filter B for 48 hours, the prepared filter
containing 3.5 mg of arginine glutamate.
Each of the filters thus prepared was connected to
the tobacco section noted above, and the formaldehyde
content (FA) in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette
was measured by the measuring method described above.
Table 2 shows the results. As apparent from Table 2,
the cigarette using the filter prepared by adding
arginine or arginine glutamate to base filter B having
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a plasticizer added thereto also exhibits a sufficient
effect of lowering the formaldehyde content in the
mainstream smoke of the cigarette.
Table 2
FA filtering
[ u g] rate [ o ]
base filter B 44.0 60.0
addition of 3.5 mg of
21.1 80.8
arginine
addition of 3.5 mg of
34.1 69.0
arginine glutamate
Example 3:
Three kinds of filter containing 3.5 mg of
arginine, 7.0 mg of arginine and 10.5 mg of arginine,
respectively, were prepared by adding 35 mg of an
aqueous solution containing 10% by weight of arginine,
35 mg of an aqueous solution containing 20% by weight
of arginine, and 35 mg of an aqueous solution
containing 30% by weight of arginine, respectively, to
base filters B, followed by drying base filters B for
48 hours.
Each of the filters thus prepared was connected to
the tobacco section noted above, and the formaldehyde
content (FA) in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette
was measured by the measuring method described above.
Table 3 shows the results. As apparent from Table 3,
the effect of lowering the formaldehyde content in the
mainstream smoke of the cigarette is improved with
.increase in the amount of arginine added to the base
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filter B, though a sufficient effect can be obtained if
3.5 mg of arginine is added to base filter B.
Table 3
FA filtering
[ gg] rate [ o )
base filter B 44.0 60.0
addition of 3.5 mg
21.1 80.8
of arginine
addition of 7.0 mg
25.0 77.3
of arginine
addition of 10.5 mg
20.2 81.6
of arginine
Example 4:
The following measurement was performed in order
to evaluate the effect of lowering the formaldehyde
content in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette that
is produced by arginine or arginine glutamate in the
presence of water.
Specifically, 35 mg of an aqueous solution
containing 10% by weight of arginine or 35 mg of an
aqueous solution containing 10% by weight of arginine
glutamate was added to base filter A or base filter B
as in Example 1 or Example 2, followed by measuring the
formaldehyde content (FA) in the mainstream smoke of
the cigarette immediately after the addition of the
aqueous solution as in Example 1 or Example 2. In each
case, the addition amount of arginine or arginine
glutamate was 3.5 mg. Table 4 shows the result.
As apparent from comparison between Table 4 and Table 1
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or Table 2, the effect of lowering the formaldehyde
content in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette is
increased in the case where arginine or arginine
glutamate is present together with water.
Table 4
FA filtering
[ u g] rate [ o ]
base filter A 36.5 66.8
addition of 35 mg of
14.3 87.0
arginine aqueous solution
addition of 35 ing of
arginine glutamate 14.9 86.5
aqueous solution
base filter B 44.0 60.0
addition of 35 mg of
11.6 89.5
arginine aqueous solution
addition of 35 mg of
arginine glutamate 17.8 83.8
aqueous solution
Example 5:
An aqueous solution containing 20% by weight of
arginine was added in an amount of 20% by weight by
spraying to cut tobacco put in a mixing drum by using
a hand sprayer, followed by drying the cut tobacco at
80 C for 5 minutes in. a dryer. Then, the cut tobacco
was conditioned for 48 hours so as to prepare a tobacco
section consisting of 690 mg of the cut tobacco and
having a length of 59 mm. Cigarette wrapper 4P35
manufactured by Mishima Seishi K.K. was used as the
cigarette wrapper. The arginine addition amount was 4%
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by weight (27.6 mg) based on the amount of cut tobacco.
Under this condition, the amount of formaldehyde
contained in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette was
measured at the outlet of the tobacco section as above
without attaching a filter to the tobacco section.
On the other hand, the base cut tobacco used for
comparison was prepared by adding 20% by weight of
water alone to the cut tobacco by spraying. The amount
of formaldehyde contained in the mainstream smoke of
the cigarette was also measured as above at the outlet
of the tobacco section using the base cut tobacco noted
above. Table 5 shows the result. As apparent from
Table 5, the formaldehyde content in the mainstream
smoke of the cigarette can also be lowered markedly by
adding arginine to the cut tobacco.
Table 5
FA at outlet of
reduction
tobacco section
rate [ o ]
[lUg]
base cut tobacco 121.3 -10.3
addition of 27.6 mg
23.9 78.3
of arginine
Example 6:
A measurement similar to that for Example 4 was
performed in order to evaluate the effect of lowering
the formaldehyde content produced by various basic
amino acids or basic amino acid salts in the presence
of water.
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Specifically, a prescribed amount of an aqueous
solution containing each of the various basic amino
acids or various basic amino acid salts shown in
Table 6 was added to base filter B, followed by
5 measuring, as above, the formaldehyde content (FA) in
the mainstream smoke of the cigarette immediately after
addition of the aqueous solution. In each of these
cases, the addition amount of the basic amino acid or
the basic amino acid salt was 3.5 mg. Table 6 shows
10 the result. As apparent from Table 6, the basic amino
acid or the basic amino acid salt other than arginine
also produces the effect of lowering the formaldehyde
content in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette.
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Table 6
FA filtering
[ /1 g] rate [ o ]
base filter B 44.0 60.0
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution containing 11.6 89.5
wt% of arginine
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution containing 13.1 88.1
10 wt% of lysine
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution containing
18.1 83.6
10 wt% of lysine
hydrochloride
addition of 70 mg of
aqueous solution containing 12.7 88.5
5 wt% of histidine
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution containing 17.7 83.9
10 wt% of citrulline
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution containing 15.7 85.7
10 wt% of ornithine
Example 7:
A measurement similar to that for Example 2 was
performed in order to evaluate the effect of lowering
5 the formaldehyde content produced by various basic
amino acids or basic amino acid salts in the presence
of a surfactant.
Specifically, a prescribed amount of an aqueous
solution containing arginine alone or an aqueous
10 solution containing both arginine and each of various
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surfactants was added to base filter B, as shown in
Table 7, followed by conditioning for 48 hours and
subsequently measuring the formaldehyde content (FA) in
the mainstream smoke and the increase in water content
(AW). The surfactants used included ionic surfactants
of potassium sorbate, sodium oleate and sodium laurate
and nonionic surfactants of sucrose laurate, sucrose
myristate, sucrose palmitate, and sucrose stearate.
Table 7 shows the result. As apparent from Table 7,
the effect of lowering the formaldehyde content in the
mainstream smoke of the cigarette can be obtained in
the case of using a basic amino acid or a basic amino
acid salt together with a surfactant even if water is
not present together with the basic amino acid or the
basic amino acid salt. It is considered reasonable
to understand that, in the case of using an aqueous
solution containing both arginine and a surfactant, the
wettability of the aqueous solution with the filter is
improved so as to improve the dispersion capability of
arginine.
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Table 7
FA filtering 0 W
u ] rate [o] [m ]
base filter B 44.0 60.0 0
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution 23.2 78.9 2.06
containing 10 wto of
arginine
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 17.9 83.7 3.35
arginine and 20 wt% of
potassium sorbate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 18.9 82.9 1.49
arginine and 2 wt% of
sodium oleate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 18.0 83.6 1.71
arginine and 2 wt% of
sodium laurate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 20.3 81.6 -
arginine and 1 wt% of
sucrose laurate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 20.9 81.0 -
arginine and 1 wt% of
sucrose myristate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 21.4 80.6 -
arginine and 0.5 wt% of
sucrose palmitate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 22.5 79.6 -
arginine and 0.5 wt% of
sucrose stearate
addition of 35 mg of
aqueous solution
containing 10 wt% of 20.9 81.0 -
arginine and 1 wt% of
glycerin fatty acid ester
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Sucrose laurate: available from Mitsubishi-Kagaku Foods
Corporation under the trade name of L-1695;
Sucrose myristate: available from Mitsubishi-Kagaku
Foods Corporation under the trade name of M-1695;
Sucrose palmitate: available from Mitsubishi-Kagaku
Foods Corporation under the trade name of P-1670;
Sucrose stearate: available from Mitsubishi-Kagaku
Foods Corporation under the trade name of S-1670;
Glycerin fatty acid ester (decaglycerin monolaurate):
available from Riken Vitamin under the trade name of
Poem J-0021.
The cigarette filter of the present invention
can also be used in the form of a cigarette holder
constructed as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in the
drawing, the cigarette filter comprises a cylindrical
cigarette holder body 41 and a filter 31 arranged
within the cigarette holder body 41. A basic amino
acid or a basic amino acid salt is contained in the
filter 31. The cigarette holder body 41 is formed
integral with a mouthpiece section 42. The aldehyde
content in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette can
also be lowered in the case of using the cigarette
filter of the particular construction.
As described above in detail, using the cigarette
and the cigarette filter of the present invention can
effectively lower the content of aldehydes in the
mainstream smoke of a cigarette.
