Enzymatic Degradation of Pectin in Tobacco Stem End

Abstract:

This study aimed to degrade the pectin in the tobacco stem end by pectinase from Penicillium and improve its usability as raw material for the reconstituted tobacco. Optimal degradation parameters obtained by the orthogonal method were enzyme dosage 0.6 g，solid/liquid ratio 1∶3，reaction temperature 50 ℃ and time 2 h，which resulted in a maximum degradation rate of 38.51%. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the residual weight of tobacco stem end was decreased from 24.46% to 9.84% after enzymolysis，indicating that its burning capacity was improved. Pyrolysis-GC/MS analysis found that the content of acetic acid in the smoke was decreased and pyrrole was increased，which would benefit the smoke taste. This study provided a new method to improve the quality of reconstituted tobacco.