Pattern of Distribution of Chemical Constituents in Flue‐cured Virginia Tobacco Leaf

Abstract

Summary It has been observed that the yellowing in the flue‐cured tobacco leaf starts from tips and margins and progresses gradually towards the base and midrib. A study of the pattern of distribution of chemical constituents in the different regions of the leaf was undertaken to see how it tallied with the pattern of yellowing. Twenty leaves were cut into two halves each by removing the midrib and each half was again cut into six portions such as base, middle, tip, lower margin, middle margin and upper margin. The segments from corresponding regions were mixed. The twelve composite samples thus obtained were analysed for moisture, total nitrogen, protein nitrogen, nicotine, total sugars and starch. It was found that there was a gradient in these constituents and that the tips and margins which yellowed first contained more total nitrogen, protein nitrogen and nicotine and less moisture and starch than the areas near the base and midrib.