Identification of components responsible for the odor of cigar smoker's breath

J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Jan 25;54(2):497-501. doi: 10.1021/jf0519109.

Abstract

Following smoking 1/2 of a cigar, the most odorous cigar tobacco smoke components extracted from the surface of the tongue by nylon-meshed swabs and then extracted from the swab headspace by solid phase microextraction were ethyl pyrrole, 2,3-dimethyl pyrazine, and 2-ethyl pyridine. Similar classes of compounds were identified from the headspace of an aqueous simulated saliva solution treated with cigar smoke. The most odorous compounds were 2,3,5-trimethyl pyridine, 2,5-dimethyl pyrazine, and 2-ethyl-3,5-dimethyl pyridine. Pyridines and pyrazines, the most prominent classes of odorous compounds identified in this experiment, may be generated during cigar pyrrolysis by cleavage of nicotine or by Maillard reaction.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Breath Tests*
  • Chromatography, Gas / methods
  • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
  • Humans
  • Mouth Mucosa / chemistry
  • Nicotiana
  • Odorants / analysis*
  • Pyrazines / analysis
  • Pyridines / analysis
  • Pyrroles / analysis
  • Saliva / chemistry
  • Smell
  • Smoking / metabolism*
  • Specimen Handling
  • Tongue
  • Volatilization

Substances

  • Pyrazines
  • Pyridines
  • Pyrroles
  • 2-ethylpyridine