Methods of modifying the tobacco-specific nitrosamine content of a tobacco material are described herein. One exemplary method comprises contacting a tobacco material with a composition comprising salt, sugar, enzyme, lactic acid bacteria, yeast, or a combination thereof to reduce the total bacterial content; curing the tobacco material; and fermenting the tobacco material in the presence of one or more microorganisms. The method can provide a fermented tobacco material having a tobacco-specific nitrosamine content that is reduced relative to a fermented tobacco material that has not been subjected to the disclosed method steps. In certain embodiments, the tobacco-specific nitrosamine content of the fermented tobacco material is no more than that of the cured tobacco material. Tobacco-containing products including such treated tobacco materials are also provided.

An oral tobacco composition is provided which has a 0.06 or greater ratio (A/N) of the total amount of carboxylic acid with 6 or fewer carbon atoms to the nicotine content, and which has a 20 ng or lower TSNA content per 1 mg of nicotine.

The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), increase phenylalanine, or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

A liquid tobacco composition comprises tobacco dissolved in an ionic liquid. Removal of selected tobacco constituents is aided by dissolving the tobacco in the ionic liquid. The tobacco, having selected constituents removed, may be regenerated from the liquid tobacco composition by separating the tobacco from the ionic liquid.

Disclosed are methods and compositions for preparing tobacco such that components of tobacco tar are reduced, while maintaining the total tar delivery of a composition or device containing tobacco treated with one or more natural tar diluents. Artificial tar diluents can also be used in combination with one more natural tar diluents. The tobacco compositions have decreased levels of tobacco specific nitrosamines and/or other components found in tar when the composition is smoked, while maintaining the total tar delivery of the smoking article, such as a cigarette, when using a tar diluent at a level sufficient to achieve desired taste qualities.

A method for reducing the content of nitrosamines in a tobacco material is provided herein, the method involving the steps of contacting a tobacco material with a treatment solution so as to form a treatment composition containing, in addition to the tobacco material, an acid, a complexing agent, a solvent, and, optionally, a salt, at a pH of about 5.5 or less, to obtain a tobacco material having a tobacco-specific nitrosamine content that is lower than the initial tobacco-specific nitrosamine content. The method can optionally include further processing of the tobacco material. Smoking articles and other tobacco products incorporating such treated tobacco materials are also provided.

Provided herein are bacterial strains that are capable of degrading nitrite and/or TSNAs. Also provided herein are methods of using such bacterial strains to degrade nitrite and/or TSNAs.

Embodiments provided herein concern tobacco and tobacco products having a reduced amount of a harmful compound. More specifically, several embodiments concern approaches to modify the expression of a gene that is involved in the production of a harmful compound in tobacco, tobacco products made using these approaches and methods of determining whether the removal of said compounds using said approaches yields a tobacco and/or a tobacco product that has a reduced potential to contribute to a tobacco-related disease.

Disclosed is a process for inhibiting formation of nitrosamines by bacteria in tobacco, comprising contacting the tobacco with a substance comprising a plurality of bacteriophages capable of lysing bacteria that form nitrosamines. Disclosed also is a tobacco product possessing a diminished concentration of nitrosamines.

The present invention provides a tobacco plant, plant part, and/or plant cell comprising one or more heterologous nucleic acid molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a pseudooxynicotine degrading enzyme. Further provided are methods and compositions for producing tobacco plants and tobacco products having reduced pseudooxynicotine (PON) and/or 4-(methyl nitrosoamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) content.