Composition of distilled Perique tobacco liqueur: A connoisseur's spirit or a health risk due to nicotine?

摘要

The use of tobacco leaves as a food ingredient has been controversially discussed, and alcoholic beverages containing distillates from fermented tobacco leaves can be found as niche products. Currently there is an absence of knowledge regarding the composition and toxicity of these products. One liqueur sample based on distilled Louisiana Perique tobacco was analysed using quantitative FTIR, GC-FID, LC/MS/MS and GC/MS/MS methodologies, and qualitatively using non-targeted NMR and CC/MS techniques. Quantitative NMR was used for nicotine analysis. Nicotine was not detectable (LOD = 0.2 mg/l). Other compounds associated with toxicity of tobacco or alcoholic beverages were either not detectable, or were found below the toxicity thresholds. A model experiment using fractionised distillation of a nicotine solution has confirmed that the compound was predominantly found in the tailing fractions of the distillate, which are discarded. In conclusion, there was no additional health risk associated with beverages diligently distilled from tobacco leaves, beside the effects of ethanol. This judgment clearly does not apply to beverages where tobacco leaves have only been macerated (and not distilled) or foods where the whole tobacco leaves are incorporated.