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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Sec. Industrial Biotechnology
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1469532

Fermentation of cigar tobacco leaves with citrus flavonoids: Changes in chemical, microbiological, and sensory properties

Provisionally accepted
Wanrong Hu Wanrong Hu 1Wen Cai Wen Cai 1Yun Jia Yun Jia 1Qianying Zhang Qianying Zhang 1Zhengcheng Zhang Zhengcheng Zhang 1Yue Wang Yue Wang 2Chongde Sun Chongde Sun 2Dongliang Li Dongliang Li 1*
  • 1 China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China
  • 2 Zhejiang University, China/Hangzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Fermentation plays a significant role in improving the quality of cigar tobacco leaves. Particularly, fermentation with characteristic additives has been identified as an effective approach to enhance the fermentation process. The objective of this study was to develop new additives and investigate their influence on cigar tobacco leaves. Methods: The active ingredients extracted from three citrus species were obtained by ultrasonic-assisted extraction followed by solid phase purification. The effects of these ingredients as fermentation additives on the primary chemical components, microbial communities, and sensory quality of cigar tobacco leaves were subsequently analyzed. Results: Results showed that: (1) Flavonoids were the main components of the prepared citrus extracts. (2) The addition of citrus extracts resulted in a reduced content of amino acids, oxalic acid, and unsaturated fatty acids in cigar tobacco leaves, while increasing the content of citric acid. Besides, the total amount of aroma substances in cigar tobacco leaves increased by 38.15% with the addition of citrus extracts, with notable enhancements in the levels of D-limonene, β-dihydroionone, dihydroactiniolactone, and other representative aroma components. (3) The addition of citrus extracts promoted the succession of the microbial community in cigar tobacco leaves and promoted the enrichment of Pseudomonas and Corynebacterium. (4) The addition of citrus extracts effectively reduced the irritation and improved the aroma richness of cigar tobacco leaves. Discussion: In this study, the influence of citrus-derived active ingredients on cigar quality was systematically analyzed, providing a reference for the development of characteristic fermentation additives for cigars and the extension of cigar quality enhancement technologies.

    Keywords: cigar, Fermentation, Citrus extracts, Chemical composition, Community Succession, sensory quality

    Received: 24 Jul 2024; Accepted: 25 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Hu, Cai, Jia, Zhang, Zhang, Wang, Sun and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Dongliang Li, China Tobacco Sichuan Industrial Co., Ltd., Chengdu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.