The Contribution of cocoa additive to cigarette smoking addiction

Page 200 of 207 RIVM report 650270002
those compounds. It is not clear, whether the level of the naturally occurring psychoactive
compounds in tobacco is high enough to play a role in the addiction to cigarette smoking.
The psychoactive compounds may affect the bioavailability of nicotine by acting on the
respiratory system or increasing the permeability through the lung epithelium or increasing
the smoke pH.
Several compounds affect the airway resistance in various ways and may have different
effects on the nicotine absorption. For example, theobromine and caffeine have similar
chemical structures (methylxanthines) and have bronchodilatory effects. Other compounds,
such as histamine, have a bronchoconstrictory effect. The evidence in this report indicates
that the level of the psychoactive compounds in cigarettes originating from cocoa is too low
to exert a net bronchoactive effect.
The local effects of the compounds on the lung epithelium are unknown and therefore can not
be evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of these compounds on the smoke pH is also unknown.
Because most of the compounds have base properties due to the presence of a primary amine
group, those compounds may increase the pH of smoke (tar). However, the level of these
compounds in tar is probably negligible compared to the other pH controlling compounds
(ammonia) in tar and therefore it is assumed that these compounds will not affect the smoke
pH.
An interesting feature is the MAO-I properties of the combustion products of some
compounds. The MAO-I properties of the combustion products may attribute to the MAO-I
quality of cigarette smoking and may explain a part of the addiction to cigarette smoking.
The discussion in this report was based on short-term exposure to the psychoactive
compounds. However, the long-term effect on the respiratory system of these compounds is
unknown in combination with other compounds or with its combustion products.