The invention relates to a method for the preparation of a homogenized tobacco material, said method comprising: —pulping and refining cellulose fibres to obtain fibres having a mean size per weight comprised between about 0.2 millimetres and about 4 millimetres; —grinding a blend of tobacco of one or more tobacco types to tobacco particles having a mean size per weight comprised between about 0.03 millimetres and about 0.12 millimetres; —Combining the cellulose fibres with the tobacco particles and with a binder to form a slurry; —homogenizing the slurry; —adding asparaginase to the slurry; and—forming the homogenized tobacco material from the slurry, wherein the homogenized tobacco material comprises from about 1 percent and about 5 percent in dry weight basis of the binder.

Methods of fermenting a tobacco material and methods of modifying the total bacterial content of a tobacco material are provided herein. One example method includes treating a tobacco material with superheated steam in a pressurized vessel to provide a steam-treated tobacco material having a reduced total bacteria content and fermenting the steam-treated tobacco material in the presence of one or more microorganisms to provide a fermented tobacco material. In some embodiments, the methods provided herein 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 and/or a modified flavor or aroma profile relative to a fermented tobacco material that has not been subjected to the disclosed method steps.

Methods of fermenting a tobacco material and methods of modifying the total bacterial content of a tobacco material are provided herein. One example method includes treating a tobacco material with superheated steam in a pressurized vessel to provide a steam-treated tobacco material having a reduced total bacteria content and fermenting the steam-treated tobacco material in the presence of one or more microorganisms to provide a fermented tobacco material. In some embodiments, the methods provided herein 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 and/or a modified flavor or aroma profile relative to a fermented tobacco material that has not been subjected to the disclosed method steps.

A soft, chewable and orally dissolvable and/or disintegrable product includes a biopolymer-sugar based matrix and botanical powder dispersed throughout the biopolymer-sugar based matrix. The biopolymer-sugar based matrix includes at least one biopolymer, at least one sugar and optional additives. Soft, chewable and orally dissolvable and/or disintegrable product can also include flavor beads.

A soft, chewable and orally dissolvable and/or disintegrable product includes a biopolymer-sugar based matrix and botanical powder dispersed throughout the biopolymer-sugar based matrix. The biopolymer-sugar based matrix includes at least one biopolymer, at least one sugar and optional additives. Soft, chewable and orally dissolvable and/or disintegrable product can also include flavor beads.

The present invention features Nicotiana nucleic acid sequences such as sequences encoding constitutive, or ethylene or senescence induced polypeptides, in particular cytochrome p450 enzymes, in Nicotiana plants and methods for using these nucleic acid sequences and plants to alter desirable traits, for example by using breeding protocols.

The present invention features Nicotiana nucleic acid sequences such as sequences encoding constitutive, or ethylene or senescence induced polypeptides, in particular cytochrome p450 enzymes, in Nicotiana plants and methods for using these nucleic acid sequences and plants to alter desirable traits, for example by using breeding protocols.

Methods of forming cellulosic sugars from the stalk or roots of a plant of the Nicotiana species are provided herein, the methods including i) receiving a tobacco material including at least one of a stalk material and a root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species; ii) delignifying the tobacco material to form a tobacco-derived pulp; and iii) hydrolyzing the tobacco-derived pulp to form a hydrolyzed tobacco product including residual solids and a liquid including at least one tobacco-derived cellulosic sugar. A cellulosic sugar derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material including at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species is also provided herein. Tobacco products incorporating the cellulosic sugars derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material or products derived from the cellulosic sugar are also provided.

Methods of forming cellulosic sugars from the stalk or roots of a plant of the Nicotiana species are provided herein, the methods including i) receiving a tobacco material including at least one of a stalk material and a root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species; ii) delignifying the tobacco material to form a tobacco-derived pulp; and iii) hydrolyzing the tobacco-derived pulp to form a hydrolyzed tobacco product including residual solids and a liquid including at least one tobacco-derived cellulosic sugar. A cellulosic sugar derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material including at least one of a tobacco stalk material and a tobacco root material of a harvested plant of the Nicotiana species is also provided herein. Tobacco products incorporating the cellulosic sugars derived from hydrolyzed tobacco material or products derived from the cellulosic sugar are also provided.

This disclosure provides a number of sequences involved in the transport of alkaloids from the root to the leaf in tobacco, methods of using such sequences, tobacco plants carrying modifications to such sequences, and tobacco products made from such plants.