Minor tobacco alkaloids as biomarkers for tobacco use: comparison of users of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and pipes.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study (1) determined levels of various tobacco alkaloids in commercial tobacco products. (2) determined urinary concentrations, urinary excretion, and half-lives of the alkaloids in humans; and (3) examined the possibility that urine concentrations of nicotine-related alkaloids can be used as biomarkers of tobacco use. METHODS: Nicotine intake from various tobacco products was determined through pharmacokinetic techniques. Correlations of nicotine intake with urinary excretion and concentrations of anabasine, anatabine, nornicotine, nicotine, and cotinine were examined. By using urinary excretion data, elimination half-lives of the alkaloids were calculated. RESULTS: Alkaloid levels in commercial tobacco products, in milligrams per gram, were as follows: nicotine, 6.5 to 17.5; nornicotine, 0.14 to 0.66; anabasine, 0.008 to 0.030; and anatabine, 0.065 to 0.27. Measurable concentrations of all alkaloids were excreted in the urine of most subjects smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes and using smokeless tobacco. Correlations between nicotine intake and alkaloid concentrations were good to excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Anabasine and anatabine, which are present in tobacco but not in nicotine medications, can be used to assess tobacco use in persons undergoing nicotine replacement therapy.

Candy Flavorings in Tobacco

“…Some contents and designs that may increase dependence potential and/or consumer appeal may also increase toxicant exposure (23,24). For example, acetaldehyde (25), a by-product of the combustion and/or pyrolysis of simple sugars, is a known carcinogen that appears to potentiate the dependencecausing effects of nicotine.…”

“…cinnamaldehyde and gluco-vanillin) designed to flavour mainstream (20) and sidestream smoke (21) with a sweet, vanillin-type aroma. Additional flavour technologies described in tobacco industry documents include flavour microencapsulation in the paper, packaging technology, polymer-based flavour fibres inserted into the filter, and flavoured tipping (18,(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27).…”

“…The minor alkaloids are absorbed systemically and can be measured in the urine of smokers and users of smokeless tobacco (23). The measurement of minor alkaloids is a way to quantify tobacco use and establish tobacco-use status when a person is also taking in pure nicotine from a nicotine medication, a…”

Determination of Behaviorally Effective Tobacco Constituent Doses in Rats

“…1 While nicotine is the primary tobacco constituent responsible for addiction, many of the other over 8,400 identified tobacco constituents, 2 including alkaloids, flavor additives, β-carbolines, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, may also affect use and dependence. 3 Given the sparse knowledge about the in vivo pharmacology of most of these constituents, the objective of this study was to examine the effects on locomotor activity of anatabine and myosmine (two alkaloids that are present in larger quantities in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes; Etter, Zäther, and Svensson 4 ; Jacob et al 5 ), cotinine (common tobacco constituent and a metabolite of nicotine; Jacob et al 5 ) and nicotine (for comparison purposes). Nicotine doses (0.1-0.8 mg/kg, subcutaneous [s.c.]) were chosen based upon literature review, which showed that acute doses within this range affected locomotor activity, produced discriminative stimulus effects, and increased dopamine overflow in brain reward areas (for review, see Matta et al 6 ).…”

Bases neurofisiológicas da dependência do tabaco

“…Neste sentido, demonstrou-se que a nornicotina, um alcalóide constituinte do tabaco e também um metabólito ativo da nicotina (Jacob et al, 1999), induz a auto-administração em ratos (Bardo et al, 1999) e aumenta a liberação de dopamina, in vitro, em fatias de núcleo acumbens (Green. et al, 2002).…”