The Contribution of cocoa additive to cigarette smoking addiction

RIVM report 650270002 Page 143 of 207
Phenylethylamine
feature, immediately followed by the presence of the phenyl ring.
The amine group supplies the compound with its base character, enabling it to react
with acids: adduct formation with hydrochloride results in the well-known salt.
At the other hand the benzene ring provides the aromatic feature to the compound.
Conclusion
Being an endogenous amine, phenylethylamine has an aliphatic base character while
at the same time the structure contains an aromatic part.
It readily forms a salt with an acid.
FUNCTION IN TOBACCO
No data available.
AMOUNT IN TOBACCO PRODUCTS
Phenylethylamine was found in several parts of Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi n.c.
plant. Depending on the development and the part of the plant it varies between 58 –
400 nmol/ g fresh weight (7.0 – 48.5 µg/g fresh weight) (6). Assuming the dry weight
of tobacco is 10 % of the fresh weight and phenylethylamine is not degraded during
fermentation process, than we conclude that the estimated phenylethylamine amount
in dried tobacco plant is between 70 - 485 µg/g dry weight. Assuming 1 g tobacco is
used in cigarette, then the phenylethylamine level in one is cigarette is estimated to
be between 70 µg and 485 µg. Phenylethylamine is also added to tobacco as a
component of cocoa, which is used as a flavouring agent. A typical casing
concentration of cocoa for cigarette tobacco is 1% (7). In cocoa phenylethylamine
ranged from 0.22 µg/g to 22.0 µg/g (8). Assuming one cigarette weights
approximately 1 g, the maximum phenylethylamine amount from cocoa in one
cigarette is estimated to be 220 ng. The maximum natural phenylethylamine amount
in cigarettes from tobacco plant is about 2200 times higher compared with the
maximum phenylethylamine amount from added cocoa.
AMOUNT IN SMOKE
main stream
No data available.
side stream
No data available.
SOURCE
Phenylethylamine is an natural tobacco component (6) and is also added to tobacco as
a component of cocoa powder, which is used as flavouring agent (7).
ENVIRONMENTAL LEVELS AND HUMAN EXPOSURE
The mean phenylethylamine concentration which was determined in some English
cheese ranged from 6.1 – 11.3 mg/kg (8). Phenylethylamine was also found in
sauerkraut (2 mg/kg), Dutch cheese (9 mg/kg) and fermented sausage (14 mg/kg) (9).
COMBUSTION PRODUCTS
No data available.