The disclosure describes methods for the purification of protein-enriched extracts to provide concentrates and isolates and methods for incorporation of such materials into products. The purification methods are adapted for removal of nicotine and may have other benefits, e.g., lightening the color of the protein-enriched extracts. The methods generally include treatment with peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide and filtrations. A protein composition in the form of a concentrate or isolate is provided, the protein composition including RuBisCO, F2 fraction proteins, or combination thereof extracted from a plant of the Nicotiana species, wherein the protein composition is characterized by relatively low nicotine content.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate oxygenase (RuBisCO) protein fibers and a method of producing them are disclosed herein. The method of producing one or more RuBisCO protein fibers including obtaining RuBisCO, for example from tobacco, combining the RuBisCO with one or more plasticizers, heating the combination of the RuBisCO and the one or more plasticizers up to about 140 degrees C., filtering the heated combination through an about 20 m filter, and passing the filtered combination through an orifice to produce one or more RuBisCO protein fibers.

An object of the present invention is to provide an F1 hybrid or a portion thereof, and use of the F1 hybrid or a portion thereof. The F1 hybrid of the present invention is an F1 hybrid between Nicotiana umbratica and Nicotiana kawakamii.

A method of modifying the moisture level of (e.g., dehydrating) a tobacco plant or portion thereof, a tobacco-derived material, a tobacco product, or a tobacco additive is provided herein. The methods of dehydration disclosed herein can provide various benefits relative to traditional drying techniques, including providing retention of various beneficial components present in green tobacco (e.g., organoleptic compounds and proteins). Smoking articles and other tobacco products including such dehydrated tobacco materials are also provided.

The disclosure describes methods for the purification of protein-enriched extracts to provide concentrates and isolates and methods for incorporation of such materials into products. The purification methods are adapted for removal of nicotine and may have other benefits, e.g., lightening the color of the protein-enriched extracts. The methods generally include treatment with peracetic acid or hydrogen peroxide and filtrations. A protein composition in the form of a concentrate or isolate is provided, the protein composition including RuBisCO, F2 fraction proteins, or combination thereof extracted from a plant of the Nicotiana species, wherein the protein composition is characterized by relatively low nicotine content.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate oxygenase (RuBisCO) protein fibers and a method of producing them are disclosed herein. The method of producing one or more RuBisCO protein fibers including obtaining RuBisCO, for example from tobacco, combining the RuBisCO with one or more plasticizers, heating the combination of the RuBisCO and the one or more plasticizers up to about 140 degrees C., filtering the heated combination through an about 20 m filter, and passing the filtered combination through an orifice to produce one or more RuBisCO protein fibers.

There is provided a method of extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from tobacco material, the method comprising the steps of: i) providing tobacco material; ii) subjecting the tobacco material to steam distillation; and iii) extracting one or more volatile compounds of interest from the tobacco material with a solvent; wherein distillation step (ii) and extraction step (iii) are carried out simultaneously and at a pH of no greater than 2, and wherein the period during which both the distillation step (ii) and the extraction step (iii) are carried out is from about 8 to about 20 hours.

The invention provides a method of isolating certain target compounds from tobacco, tobacco materials or smoke generated by a smoking article. The method can be used to remove undesirable compounds from tobacco, tobacco materials, or tobacco smoke. The method can also be used to remove flavor compounds from tobacco or tobacco materials, which can then be used as flavor components for tobacco material used in smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions.

Various embodiments and variations of the present disclosure are related to smokable products and methods of preparing smokable products.

The invention provides a method of extracting and isolating certain compounds from tobacco. The resulting isolate can include more than 90% by weight of a given compound and can be used as a flavor component for tobacco material used in smoking articles and smokeless tobacco compositions. Exemplary compounds that may be present in the isolate according to the invention include, but are not limited to, solanone, neophytadiene, megastigmatrienone, -damascenone, norsolanadione, cis-abienol, -cembratrienediol, -cembratrienediol, sucrose esters, and lutein.