<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Globally, smokeless tobacco (ST) includes a wide array of chemically diverse products generally used in the oral cavity. Although ST has been widely investigated, this study was undertaken to determine the levels of sugars (mono- and di-saccharides), alditols, and humectants present in major ST categories/subcategories by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). The products studied included chewing tobacco (loose leaf, plug, twist), US moist snuff, Swedish snus, creamy snuff, dry snuff, dissolvable tobacco products, and tobacco-coated toothpicks. The highest mean sugar level was detected in chewing tobacco (9.3–27.5%, <italic>w/w</italic>), followed by dissolvable tobacco (2.1%); all other products were lower than 1%. Creamy snuff had the highest mean alditol levels (22.6%), followed by dissolvable tobacco (15.4%); all others had levels lower than 1%. The detected mean humectant levels ranged from non-detectable to 5.9%. This study demonstrates the broad chemical diversity among ST. This research may aid researchers and public health advocates investigating the exposures and risks of ST. [Beitr. Tabakforsch. Int. 28 (2019) 203–213]</p></abstract>

Globally, smokeless tobacco (ST) includes a wide array of chemically diverse products generally used in the oral cavity. Although ST has been widely investigated, this study was undertaken to determine the levels of sugars (mono- and di-saccharides), alditols, and humectants present in major ST categories/subcategories by using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (HPLC-MS/MS). The products studied included chewing tobacco (loose leaf, plug, twist), US moist snuff, Swedish snus, creamy snuff, dry snuff, dissolvable tobacco products, and tobacco-coated toothpicks. The highest mean sugar level was detected in chewing tobacco (9.3–27.5%, w/w), followed by dissolvable tobacco (2.1%); all other products were lower than 1%. Creamy snuff had the highest mean alditol levels (22.6%), followed by dissolvable tobacco (15.4%); all others had levels lower than 1%. The detected mean humectant levels ranged from non-detectable to 5.9%. This study demonstrates the broad chemical diversity among ST. This research may aid researchers and public health advocates investigating the exposures and risks of ST. [Beitr. Tabakforsch. Int. 28 (2019) 203–213]

LC-MS/MS Analysis of Sugars, Alditols, and Humectants in Smokeless Tobacco Products

Department of Health and Human Services; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Center for Environmental Health

Contributions to Tobacco & Nicotine Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Globally, smokeless tobacco (ST) includes a wide array of chemically diverse products generally used in the oral cavity. Although ST has been widely...

LC-MS/MS Analysis of Sugars, Alditols, and Humectants in Smokeless Tobacco Products

Published Online: Jun 13, 2019

Page range: 203 - 213

Received: Oct 16, 2018

Accepted: Mar 06, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cttr-2019-0001

Keywords
Smokeless tobacco (ST), chewing tobacco, snus, snuff, dissolvable tobacco, tobacco stick, creamy snuff, sugar, alditol, humectant, LC-MS/MS

© 2019 Liqun Wang et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

LC-MS/MS Analysis of Sugars, Alditols, and Humectants in Smokeless Tobacco Products

Published Online: Jun 13, 2019

Page range: 203 - 213

Received: Oct 16, 2018

Accepted: Mar 06, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cttr-2019-0001

KeywordsSmokeless tobacco (ST), chewing tobacco, snus, snuff, dissolvable tobacco, tobacco stick, creamy snuff, sugar, alditol, humectant, LC-MS/MS

© 2019 Liqun Wang et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Smokeless tobacco (ST), chewing tobacco, snus, snuff, dissolvable tobacco, tobacco stick, creamy snuff, sugar, alditol, humectant, LC-MS/MS