Modifying nicotine and nitrosamine levels in tobacco
The present invention generally relates to tobacco and tobacco products having a reduced amount of nicotine and/or tobacco specific nitrosamines (TSNA). More specifically, several ways to make tobacco plants that have reduced nicotine and TSNA levels have been discovered. Embodiments include tobacco harvested from said tobacco plants, cured tobacco from said tobacco plants, tobacco products made with said cured tobacco and methods of making these compositions.
1 . A tobacco product comprising a cured tobacco that comprises a genetic modification, wherein said tobacco product has a collective content of N′-nitrosonomicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) of less than 0.5 μg/g.
2 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein said cured tobacco is of the genus Nicotiana.
3 . The tobacco product of claim 2 , wherein said cured tobacco is selected from the group consisting of Burley, Flue, and Oriental.
4 . The tobacco product of claim 2 , wherein said cured tobacco is Burley.
5 . The tobacco product of claim 2 , wherein said cured tobacco is Flue.
6 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein said cured tobacco comprises an exogenous nucleic acid that encodes an enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway or a fragment thereof at least 25 nucleotides in length.
7 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein said cured tobacco comprises a fragment of a nucleic acid that encodes an enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway that is at least 50 nucleotides in length.
8 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein said cured tobacco comprises a fragment of a nucleic acid that encodes an enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway that is at least 100 nucleotides in length.
9 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein said cured tobacco comprises a fragment of a nucleic acid that encodes an enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway that is at least 250 nucleotides in length.
10 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 11 mg/g.
11 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 9 mg/g.
12 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 7 mg/g.
13 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 5 mg/g.
14 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 3 mg/g.
15 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 2 mg/g.
16 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 1 mg/g.
17 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 0.7 mg/g.
18 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 0.5 mg/g.
19 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the amount of nicotine in said product is less than 0.1 mg/g.
20 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonomicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.4 μg/g.
21 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonomicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.3 μg/g.
22 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.2 μg/g.
23 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.1 μg/g.
24 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.05 μg/g.
25 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.02 μg/g.
26 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein the collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), N′-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), N′-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) is less than 0.01 μg/g.
27 . The tobacco product of claim 6 , wherein said enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway is selected from the group consisting of putrescine N-methyltransferase, N-methylputrescine oxidase, ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, NADH dehydrogenase, phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase, and quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase.
28 . The tobacco product of claim 7 , wherein said enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway is selected from the group consisting of putrescine N-methyltransferase, N-methylputrescine oxidase, ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, NADH dehydrogenase, phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase, and quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase.
29 . The tobacco product of claim 8 , wherein said enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway is selected from the group consisting of putrescine N-methyltransferase, N-methylputrescine oxidase, ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, NADH dehydrogenase, phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase, and quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase.
30 . The tobacco product of claim 9 , wherein said enzyme in the nicotine synthesis pathway is selected from the group consisting of putrescine N-methyltransferase, N-methylputrescine oxidase, ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, NADH dehydrogenase, phosphoribosylanthranilate isomerase, and quinolate phosphoribosyl transferase.
31 . The tobacco product of claim 1 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.
32 . The tobacco product of claim 6 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.
33 . The tobacco product of claim 10 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.
34 . The tobacco product of claim 15 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.
35 . The tobacco product of claim 18 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.
36 . The tobacco product of claim 22 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.
37 . The tobacco product of claim 25 , wherein said tobacco product is a cigarette.