Nature and Problems of the Fermentation of Oriental Tobacco/Nature et Problèmes de la Fermentation des Tabacs Orientaux

The study of the nature of the fermentation of Oriental tobacco is of both theoretical and practical importance, as these tobaccos are fermented either under natural or artificially created conditions. The most recent research carried out in Bulgaria for the study of the fermentation of Oriental tobacco is described. The changes in the oxidizing enzymes of tobacco as a function of storing conditions were examined, as were the quantitative changes in the principal groups of chemical components of tobacco such as: protein, free amino acids, alkaloids, volatile bases, brown pigments, reducing substances, soluble sugars and polyphenols, under various conditions of fermentation. The pattern of the alteration revealed by these investigations suggests that the changes in chemical composition during the fermentation of Oriental tobacco are, above all, the result of purely chemical processes. It is concluded that there is no essentiaI difference in the nature of the processes which occur during natural and forced fermentation. By suitable adjustment of the parameters and duration of forced fermentation, it is possible to cause changes in tobacco composition corresponding in character and intensity to those induced by natural fermentation. This theory was confirmed by the results of comparative studies on the alterations in the chemical composition of tobaccos fermented under different conditions as well as qualitative studies on the brown pigments isolated from these tobaccos.