Comparisons of smoke components in the semivolatile phase from lamina and midrib cigarettes of flue-cured tobacco leaves.

Dichloromethane extracts of lamina and midrib cigarette smoke condensates were sub-jected to glass capillary column gas chromatography. Most peaks in the gas chromatogram were identified and the major components were quantitatively determined. The compositional differences between the two types of smoke were then compared. In midrib cigarette smoke the major components appear to be derived from cell wall substances by pyrolysis while lamina cigarette smoke consists of many sugar degradation products and essential oil com-ponents which would be directly transferred from tobacco.