AHF NCI Collection
Quanitative Determination of Product-Precursor Relationships for the Dehydration Reactions of Two Humectants-Glycerol and Triethyleneglycol
Fields
- Keyword
- Humectants
- Sugars
- Location
- cd 5
- Brand
- X
- Team
- additives
- Author
- JOHN, J
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Mr. Jim Charles May 19, 1981
Judy John
Quantitative Determination of Product-Precursor Relationships for the
Dehydration Reactions of Two Humectants - Glycerol and Triethyleneglycol
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Summary
The product-precursor relationship of glycerol to acrolein is difficult to,
determine in smoke because of several factors including the incomplete
pyrolysis of glycerol, multiple precursors contributing to the acrolein
level in smoke, and physical and chemical variables of the cigarette which
influence the pyrolytic formation of acrolein. The best approximation is
the multiple regression equation for acrolein levels developed by Tso,
which gives coefficients for the most significant variables in this.
reaction. The acrol!ein levels which have been determined in smoke range
from 62 to 149 micrograms/cigarette. This is one indication of the total
acrolein formed during the pyrolysis of glycerol'~ and of other contributing
constituents in tobacco. There have not been any reports of the pyrolysis
of triethyleneglycol to 1,4-dioxane in tobacco smoke.
Dehydration of .*Glycerol to Acrolein
delivery, and smoke chemistry.
The quantitative determination of a product-precursor relationship~for glycerol
to acrolein is Wficult.to isolate in smoke because the acrolein is a thermal
degradation product of many naturally occurring leaf constituents. All~ of
these precursor compounds can contribute to the acrolein levels, including the
humectant glycerol. The termal breakdown of glycerol to acrolein, is an incom-
plete reaction. Glycerol is present in the smoke, as is acrolein. Aithough,
the dehydration reaction theoretically should produce 1 mole of acrolein for
every mole of glycerin, it is evident that many physical and chemical factors
of pyrolysis of tobacco negate the usefulness of this ratio. Some of these
factors include the type of tobacco,, the temperature rate, static burning rate,
puff number, weight of tobacco, proportion of non-smoking materials, smoke
Correlationand multipplie regression studies have been carried out on selected
cigarette smoke constituents and leaf characteristics. of bright tobacco. The
amount of acrolein in smoke is positively correlated with the folilowing leaf
variables using the coefficients as indicated for each variabile in the chart--.@-
below (Tso, 1973). O
4
O
Simple Correlation for Acrolein Levels and Leaf Variables
Positive Correlations of at least 5% significance ~'
~
Stigmasterol .820
Potassium .603
pH of Leaf Tobacco .548
Fi're-hoilding capacity of leaf .663
C1t
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Negative Correlations of at least 5% significance
Leaf thickness -.594
Trichome -.484
Total free amino acids -.535
Arginine -.690
Proline -.530
Scopoletin -.735:
Oxal ic aciid -.723
The multiple regression equation for levels of acrolein was developed by Tso on
the basis of the most significant correlation variables.
Muliple Regression Equation for Acrolein Levels in Smoke
(Expressed as mg/100 g tobacco smoked)
Acrolein = 15.68049 + (0.50838 x Nicotine) + (0.71579 x Sugar)
- (131.6150 x Scopolietin) - (19.24390 x P)
- (0.00837 x Tobacco SJeight)
.
R squared = 0.86171
Acrolein deliveries have been reported in studies using colorimetric and gas
chromatographic analysis. The values for a variety of ciigarettes are listed in
the table below (Horton, 1974).
Acrolein Deliveries for Some Experimental and Commercial Cigarettes.
Cigarette Micrograms/cig Micrograms/puff Micrograms/q*
Kentucky Ref. 128 12 159
Comm. 85 mm
filtered
102
10
153
Comm. 85mm
nonfiltered
111
12
135
Experimental
85mm, charcoal
filtered
62
7
93 I
Experimental
85mm, charcoal
removed
103
12
155
Comm. 85mm,
Filtered Cigar
70
8
107
Experimental
85m, Marihuana
145
14
199
*Micrograms of tobacco burned
In a later study, Klimisch determined the acrolein levels for a variety of
cigarettes to be in the range of 111 to'149 micrograms/cigarette (Klimisch,
1976).

3
Pyrolytic Deqradation of Triethylene Glycol to 1,4-Dioxane
An exhaustive search of the literature did not produce any reports on the
thermal degradation of triethylene glycol to 1,4-dioxane in tobacco smoke.
Dioxane has been added to tobacco to produce chemilliuminescent cigarettes
(Lehikonen, 1970). Similar reactions have been evaluated experimentally, but
not in smoke. Akagane determined that ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol
were respectively d'imerized and cyclized to dioxane and tetrahydrofuran
(Akagane, 1972). In another study, the dehydration of diethylene glycol in
the gas phase over an: aluminosilicate catalyst at 310-90 degrees produced
1,4-dioxane and other compounds in a fixed bed'tubular reactor (Lopez, 1980).
JJ:f

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tso, T.C., Rathkamp, G., Hoffmann, D. Chemical studies on tobacco smoke.
XXI. Correlation and 'Multiple Regression amonq selected cigarette-smoke
constituents and leaf characteristics of Bright tobacco. Beitrage zur
Tabakforschung 7(3), 190-194, 1973.
Horton, A.D., Guerin, M.R. Determination of acetaldehydes and acrol~ein in
the gas phase of cigarrette smoke using cryothermal gas chromatography.
Tobacco Science, 17, 19-22, 1974.
Klimisch, H'.J., Wernicke, H., Meisner, K. Gaschromatographische besti m, ung von
isopren, acetaldehyd und acroleirn aus der gasphase von cigarettenrauch.
Beitrage zur Tabakforschung, 8(6), 350-353, 1976.
Lopez, J.C., March, S.C., Garcia, F.C. Kinetics of dehydration of ethylene
glycol in the gas phase. Afinidad, 37(363), 301-5, 1980.
Akagane, K., Allan, G.G. Transpolymerization. Shikizai Kyokaishi, 45(6),
293-6 (Japan), 1972.
Wilson, J., Clapp, M.J., Conning, D.M. Effect of Glycerol on Local and
systemic carcinogenicity of topically applied tobacco condensate.
British J. Cancer, 38, 250-257, 1973.
.

ADDENDUM
Glycerol Inhibition of Mouse Skin Carcinogenesis
It is of interest to: briefly examine the carcinogenic inhibitory properties of
glycerol which have been reported in the l iterature. When glycerol was added to
tobacco smoke condensate in acetone solvent, the topical'~ carciinogenicity andthe
ability to produce epithelial hyperplasia in mice was reduced. Age-standard'ized
results show that glycerol reduced the incidence of tumors and malignant tumors
and of hyperplasia in animals who did not develop skin tumors. The relative
incidence of malignant tumors, benign tumors, hyperplasia-and unaffected skin
suggest that there is a sequential relationship (normal skin to hyperplasia to
benign neoplasia to malilgnant neoplasia) which is impeded by glycerol. Non-
smoking materals (NSM) have shown less than 25% of the tumor-producing capacity
of tobacco, which has been attributed to the general reduction of particulate
phase activity of NSM smoke and to the substantial carry-over into smoke of the
humectant glycerol. Glycerol constitutes between 40% and 50% of the particulate
phase of NSM smoke. The above studies confirm the implication that the presence
of glycerol im NSM smoke is responsible for the the reduced carcinogenic
activity of NSM smoke on mouse skin (Wilson, 1978).
