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Thermal degradation of β-carotene, major carotenoid present in cured tobacco leaves, were carried out at 400, 600, and 800℃ which are similar to temperatures existing in the combustion zones of cigarettes, and subsequent volatile degradation products were analyzed by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The volatile compounds identified from degradation products included 36 aromatic hydrocarbons, 10 β-iononerelated compounds which have trimethylcyclohexane ring, and 7 others. Of these, 37 compounds including β-cyclogeraniol had not been previously reported in the literature as thermal degradation products of β-carotene. The major compounds of degradation products at 400 and 600℃ were β-xylere, a-terpinene, β-cyclocitral, ionene (1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,6-trimethyl naphthalene), β-ionone, and dihydroactinidiolide. The major compounds at 800℃ were the above six compounds plus toluene.
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