Chemical composition of Oriental tobacco of Krumovgrad ecotype in relation to quality and combustibility
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61308/1rpcd287Keywords:
Oriental tobacco, mineral elements, nicotine, reducing sugars, leaf quality, tobacco combustibilityAbstract
Oriental tobaccos of Krumovgrad ecotype are the most widely produced and one of the highest-quality tobaccos grown in Bulgaria. They have the characteristics of a true Basma type and are highly regarded for their rich, pungent flavor and good burning properties. The main objectives of the current study were: i) to investigate the chemical composition of Oriental tobaccos of Krumovgrad ecotype produced in different micro regions in Bulgaria, with the view of assessing their quality and applicability as a raw material in smoking products; and ii) to arrange the investigated tobaccos in groups according to their chemical indices and combustibility. The investigation was carried out in 2022, with samples of cured tobacco leaves from thirteen micro regions in three production regions in Southwestern Bulgaria. The concentrations of macroelements (K, Ca and Mg) and trace elements (Cd, Ni, Mn, Zn, and Cu) in Bulgarian Oriental tobacco of Krumovgrad ecotype differed significantly between the studied regions and micro regions. The main chemical indicators of the investigated tobaccos also showed variation, depending on the micro region of production: nicotine, 0.65-1.83%; reducing sugars, 13.30-21.20%; total nitrogen, 1.33-1.86%; ash, 7.95-11.70%; chlorine, 0.22-0.75%; as well as smoke tar (15.69-23.59 mg/cig) and nicotine (0.60-1.64 mg/cig). The applied hierarchical cluster analysis classified the tobaccos into two main clusters based on the measured chemical indicators. Tobacco combustibility, one of the key quality indicators, was evaluated by three combustibility indices, taking into account the concentration of inorganic elements in the cured leaves. The results spoke in favor of the good burning potential of Bulgarian Oriental tobacco of Krumovgrad ecotype. The ranking of tobaccos, based on the assessment of their combustibility, distinguished with the best burning properties those from Ablanitsa (region Nevrokop) and Dolno Osenovo (Gorna Gjumaya). The results obtained in the study can be used in evaluating the quality of tobacco as a raw material for smoking products, with a view to their optimal usability in tobacco blending.
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