ACCUMULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ACYLATED NORNICOTINE DERIVATIVES IN FLUE-CURED TOBACCO ALKALOID ISOLINES

Acylnornicotine derivatives were analyzed and quantified in several alkaloid isolines of NC 95 fluecured tobacco during growth and curing. N′-Formyl-,N′-acetyl-,N′-(n-butanoyl)-, N′-hexanoyl-,N′-octanoyl-, and N′-(hydroxyoctanoyl)nornicotines were determined by extraction and chromato graphic procedures frequently used for tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Detection was with a therm ionic N-P detector. Formyl-, (hydroxyoctanoyl)-, and octanoylnornicotine were present in greatest amounts in these fluecured tobaccos. Mature green lamina of NC 95 contained 39-92 µg g1of acylnornicotines, and the amount increased during curing (56-328 µg g1). Cured lamina from the alka loid isoline tobaccos contained from 41 to 1182 µg g1of N′-acylnornicotines. The highest amounts of acylated nornicotine derivatives were in the lamina from the upper stalk positions. The accumulation of acylnornicotines in the different alkaloid isolines was correlated positively (r = 0.50) with the alkaloid precursor nornicotine. Correlation coefficients of the individual acylnornicotines with N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) were highly significant (r = 0.86-0.98) in cured lamina from the third priming of the alkaloid isoline tobaccos. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.