The process of the forced aging of flue-cured tobacco leaves were studied extensively from various scientific points of view. The Flue-cured tobacco leaves were inoculated and fermented with nicotine resistant Hansenula yeast, or the leaves were subjected under simple forced aging. The above two processes of forced aging were studied from the summarized points of microbiology, physics, chemistry, and biochemistry, and the resulted products ware compared in their physical, chemical and biochemical quality determining factors with that of raw material tobacco leaves (dried-tobacco leaves) and 2 years aged high quality tobacco leaves. The summary results were as follows.
1) The Korean flue-cured tobacco leaves, were forcedly aged under the basic optimum aging condition, temperature 40℃, moisture contents 18%, relative humidity 74%. It was found that this aging condition was the best in bringing the quality of forcedly aged tobacco leaves to the utmost state.
2) Under this optimum temperature and moisture condition of forced aging in about 20 days the forcedly aged tobacco leaves both with yeast inoculation and without yeast inoculation showed the equivalent tobacco qualities comparable with that of more than 2 years aged tobacco leaves.
3) The forcedly aged tobacco leaves both with and without yeast inoculation under 40℃ temperature and 74℃ relative humidity achieved the necessary quality determining physical and chemical changes in about 20 days.
4) The microbial changes during the forced aging were as follows. The population of yeasts and bacteria increased until to 15 days of aging, then decreased thereafter. Whereas the molds grew continously until the end of fermentation.
5) The tobacco quality determing physico-chemico-properties of yeast inoculated aged and simple forcedly aged tobacco leaves, progressed as the follows in time. As the forced aging progresses, swelling and combustibility properties were improved. The pH, total reducing materials, total sugars, alkaloids contents decreased. The contents of organic and ether extractable materials increased. The total nitrogen, protein, crude fiber, ash contents showed no changes. The color properties, excitation purity, luminance, main wave length, showed equivalent changes comparable with that of 2 years aged tobacco leaves.
6) The changes in chemical components in yeast treated and simple forcedly aged tobacco leaves during 15∼20 days of forced aging were as follows. The following chemical components decreased as the aging. Sugars-sucrose. rhamnose, glucose. Pigments-chlorophyll, carotenes, xanthophyll and violax anthine. Polyphenols-rutin, chlorogenic and, coffeic acid. Organic acids-iso-butylic, crotonic, caprylic, galacturonic, tartaric, succinic, citric acid. Alkaloids-nicotine, nornicotine. The following components increased as the forced aging progressed. Sugars-frutose, maltose, raffinose. Amino acids-proline, cystine. Organic acids-formic, acetic, propionic, n-butyric, iso-valeric, n-valeric, malic, oxalic, malonic, α-ketoglutaric, fumaric, glutaric acid.
7) During the forced aging of tobacco Leaves the oxygen-uptake decreased gradually. The enzyme activities of polyphenol oxidase, β-amylase α-amylase decreased gradually. The activities of the enzymes, catalase, and invertase increased once then decreased at the later stage.
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