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Identification of bacterial and fungal components in tobacco and tobacco smoke.

Larsson, Lennart LU ; Szponar, Bogumila LU ; Ridha, Beston ; Pehrson, Christina LU ; Dutkiewicz, Jacek ; Krysińska-Traczyk, Ewa and Sitkowska, Jolanta (2008) In Tobacco Induced Diseases 4(1). p.4-4
Abstract
ABSTRACT: The microbiological composition of tobacco products was studied using culture and chemical analysis (of tobacco leaves) or chemical analysis only (tobacco and tobacco smoke). The chemical analyses utilized gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining 3-hydroxy fatty acids, muramic acid, and ergosterol as markers of respectively lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan, and fungal biomass. Mesophilic bacteria dominated in both fresh and cured tobacco leaves; a range of additional bacteria and fungi were also found albeit in minor amounts. The peptidoglycan and LPS concentrations were approximately the same in tobacco leaves as in cigarette tobacco. The concentrations of the measured microbial components were much... (More)
ABSTRACT: The microbiological composition of tobacco products was studied using culture and chemical analysis (of tobacco leaves) or chemical analysis only (tobacco and tobacco smoke). The chemical analyses utilized gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining 3-hydroxy fatty acids, muramic acid, and ergosterol as markers of respectively lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan, and fungal biomass. Mesophilic bacteria dominated in both fresh and cured tobacco leaves; a range of additional bacteria and fungi were also found albeit in minor amounts. The peptidoglycan and LPS concentrations were approximately the same in tobacco leaves as in cigarette tobacco. The concentrations of the measured microbial components were much lower in some cigarettes locally produced in China, Korea, and Vietnam than in cigarettes of international brands purchased in the same countries, and the concentrations in the smoke were in general agreement with the concentrations in cigarette tobacco. No differences in microbial load in tobacco of "light" and "full flavor" cigarettes were seen. Storing cigarettes at high humidity resulted in elevated levels of fungi in the cigarette tobacco leading to increased ergosterol concentrations in the smoke. The fact that tobacco smoke is a bioaerosol may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers and non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke since the same symptoms are also commonly associated with exposure to bioaerosols. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Tobacco Induced Diseases
volume
4
issue
1
pages
4 - 4
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:18822161
ISSN
1617-9625
DOI
10.1186/1617-9625-4-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bd2dcd5a-aa69-44f0-afb0-0ee5ed7cb338 (old id 1262749)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18822161?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:10:21
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:51:15
@article{bd2dcd5a-aa69-44f0-afb0-0ee5ed7cb338,
  abstract     = {{ABSTRACT: The microbiological composition of tobacco products was studied using culture and chemical analysis (of tobacco leaves) or chemical analysis only (tobacco and tobacco smoke). The chemical analyses utilized gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for determining 3-hydroxy fatty acids, muramic acid, and ergosterol as markers of respectively lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peptidoglycan, and fungal biomass. Mesophilic bacteria dominated in both fresh and cured tobacco leaves; a range of additional bacteria and fungi were also found albeit in minor amounts. The peptidoglycan and LPS concentrations were approximately the same in tobacco leaves as in cigarette tobacco. The concentrations of the measured microbial components were much lower in some cigarettes locally produced in China, Korea, and Vietnam than in cigarettes of international brands purchased in the same countries, and the concentrations in the smoke were in general agreement with the concentrations in cigarette tobacco. No differences in microbial load in tobacco of "light" and "full flavor" cigarettes were seen. Storing cigarettes at high humidity resulted in elevated levels of fungi in the cigarette tobacco leading to increased ergosterol concentrations in the smoke. The fact that tobacco smoke is a bioaerosol may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers and non-smokers exposed to second hand smoke since the same symptoms are also commonly associated with exposure to bioaerosols.}},
  author       = {{Larsson, Lennart and Szponar, Bogumila and Ridha, Beston and Pehrson, Christina and Dutkiewicz, Jacek and Krysińska-Traczyk, Ewa and Sitkowska, Jolanta}},
  issn         = {{1617-9625}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{4--4}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Tobacco Induced Diseases}},
  title        = {{Identification of bacterial and fungal components in tobacco and tobacco smoke.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1617-9625-4-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/1617-9625-4-4}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}