ES3023581T3 - Plant-based smoking product for a hookah, comprising pure nicotine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a product for smoking in a waterpipe, comprising a vaporizable portion for inhalation, including glycerin and propylene glycol; and a fibrous carrier for the vaporizable portion; wherein the fibrous carrier comprises plant fibers other than tobacco; and wherein the product further comprises nicotine with a purity of at least 95%. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, no legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Plant-based hookah smoking product with pure nicotine

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of smoking products for hookah, also commonly called cachimba.

Prior art

[0002] The hookah, or shisha, is a water pipe whose smoke is inhaled by the smoker through a long, flexible tube. It is used to smoke tobacco. The shisha product (the "flavour") most commonly used in France is generally composed of 28% tobacco, 70% molasses (a honeyed liquid that gives shisha tobacco a sticky, pasty appearance), and the remainder consisting of flavourings, texturising agents and preservatives. Molasses is a very viscous, non-crystallisable syrup that is the residue from the manufacture of sugar from sugar beet or sugar cane. It is composed of approximately 50% sucrose and 13% glucose/fructose.

[0003] The hookah product is placed in a bowl opening onto a chimney which draws the smoke to the bottom of a water-filled container (0.5 to 11). The smoking product does not burn autonomously, but is heated and partially burned by adding glowing coal to the bowl, generally separated from the smoking product by a perforated foil or a kaloud. A tube is connected to the highest point of the tank to allow users to inhale the smoke into the chimney through the water.

[0004] Hookah smoke contains metals derived from tobacco, coal, and even aluminum foil. Like all smoke from burning organic substances, hookah smoke releases nearly 4,000 chemical substances during combustion, including heavy metals (chromium, cobalt, lead, etc.), tar, and carbon monoxide. Many of these are toxic, irritating, and/or carcinogenic.

[0005] Hookah use exposes smokers to much greater amounts of smoke than cigarettes, mainly due to the length of the smoking sessions. The WHO (World Health Organization) has estimated that a cigarette is smoked in 8 to 12 puffs over a period of 5 to 7 minutes, while hookah is smoked in 50 to 200 puffs over a period of 40 to 60 minutes.

[0006] Tar is the primary substance responsible for smoking-related cancers. However, a single hookah produces 10 to 100 times more tar (depending on the size of the device, the frequency of inhalations, the type of water, etc.) than a single cigarette.

[0007] Tobacco naturally contains nicotine. The water in the hookah device retains a fraction of the nicotine, which encourages the smoker to inhale more deeply to achieve the same effect, thereby exposing them to higher amounts of undesirable substances, including tar.

[0008] Published patent documents RU 2595978 C1, RU 25959994 C1 and

[0009] RU 2595995 C1 discloses various hookah smoking products comprising tobacco leaves and floral or herbaceous plant material such as in particular thyme, oregano, nettle, sorrel, basil or parsley. The purpose of the presence of this plant material is to reduce the toxicity of the smoking product by reducing the amount of nicotine while retaining the characteristics necessary to be smoked with a hookah. However, the presence of tobacco leaves retains an intrinsic toxicity to the smoking product. Documents DE202020002844U1, DE202020002254U1 and KR20210070289 disclose hookah smoking products comprising plant fibers other than tobacco.

Disclosure of the invention

[0010] The invention aims to alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art. More particularly, the invention aims to propose a hookah smoking product that has reduced harmfulness and that satisfies the consumer organoleptically, in particular for the purpose of reducing or cessation of smoking.

[0011] The invention relates to a smoking product for hookah, comprising a vaporizable portion for inhalation, comprising glycerin and propylene glycol, and a fibrous support for the vaporizable portion comprising plant fibers other than tobacco, characterized in that the product further comprises nicotine, with a purity of at least 95%, the nicotine being in a concentration of between 0.05 and 0.7% m/m.

[0012] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, it does not comprise any tobacco or comprises traces of tobacco with a concentration of less than 0.5% m/m.

[0013] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, the plant fibers are selected from the following list: fruit fibers, leaf fibers, bast fibers, cellulose fibers, cereal fibers, flower fibers, and any combination.

[0014] Advantageously, the plant fibers comprise several types of plant fibers. By type of plant fibers, one may understand a family, a genus, or even a plant species from which the plant fibers originate. The type of plant fibers may also correspond to the elements of the list mentioned above, namely, fruit fibers, leaf fibers, bast fibers, cellulose fibers, cereal fibers, and flower fibers.

[0015] The plant fibers may or may not comprise bagasse.

[0016] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, the vegetable fibers of cereal(s) are bran fibers of cereal(s).

[0017] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, the vegetable fibers are in a concentration between 2% m/m and 50% m/m.

[0018] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, the plant fibers are cut and/or crushed so as to have an average principal size comprised between 0.1 and 20 mm.

[0019] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, the plant fibers are cut and/or crushed so as to have an average principal surface area comprised between 1 and 20 mm2.

[0020] According to an advantageous mode of the invention, the plant fibers have a moisture content of between 5 and 30% m/m.

[0021] Advantageously, the nicotine is in a concentration between 0.15 and 0.3% m/m.

[0022] The measures of the invention are advantageous in that they provide a smoking product that is substantially less harmful than a predominantly tobacco-based smoking product while providing similar pleasure and sensation. The use of pure nicotine as a substitute for tobacco leaves allows the smoking product to provide the organoleptic effect of tobacco while substantially reducing the production of harmful substances that would otherwise be produced when the tobacco leaves are burned. Nicotine in effect causes blood pressure and heart rate to increase and triggers a release of adrenaline and dopamine. It also has the effect of improving concentration and memory.

[0023] The use of pure nicotine also allows controlling its dose in the smoking product, thus making the invention part of smoking cessation.

[0024] Furthermore, the use of plant fibers other than tobacco provides a fibrous substrate or support particularly suitable for absorbing the liquid part, namely in particular glycerin, propylene glycol and nicotine. This fibrous support has the advantage of having a reduced harmfulness, when heating or burning the smoking product in the hookah, compared to tobacco leaves and, furthermore, depending on its composition, provides an aromatic effect complementary to nicotine.

Brief description of the drawings

[0025]

[Fig. 1] is a graph showing the mean ratings of a group 1 of 20 testers of the smoking product according to the invention depending on the nicotine concentration;

[Fig.2] is a graph showing the mean ratings of a group of 20 testers of the smoking product according to the invention depending on the nicotine concentration;

[Fig.3] is a graph showing the mean ratings of a group of 3 of 20 testers of the smoking product according to the invention depending on the nicotine concentration.

Detailed description

[0026] The hookah smoking product according to the invention comprises, advantageously in decreasing order of mass concentration, glycerin, propylene glycol, plant fibers other than tobacco and nicotine.

[0027] Glycerin or glycerol is a clear, viscous, colorless, odorless, slightly toxic if ingested, and sweet-tasting liquid. Its IUPAC name is 1,2,3-propanetriol CAS: 56-81-5. It is commonly available on the market.

[0028] Propylene glycol (PG), whose IUPAC name is propane-1,2-diol CAS: 57-55-6, is a colorless, odorless, hygroscopic, and viscous liquid. It is also commonly available on the market. It is often used in many fields, particularly in the food industry as an emulsifier, in the cosmetics industry as a humectant.

[0029] In the field of application of hookah smoking products, propylene glycol, in particular in combination with glycerol, makes it possible to produce, once heated by the hookah charcoal, an aerosol simulating tobacco smoke.

[0030] The plant fibers other than tobacco may be fruit fibers, leaf fibers, bast fibers, cellulose fibers, cereal fibers, flower fibers, or any combination of these fibers.

[0031] The fruit fibers may comprise dehydrated pieces of pulp with or without skin, and/or dehydrated peels or skins of these fruits. These pieces, peels and skins may be obtained by cutting and/or grinding dehydrated fruits.

[0032] The leaf fibers may comprise dehydrated leaf pieces, obtained by crushing the leaves in question. These leaves may be leaves of combava, Indian wood, cinnamon, verbena, tea, hawthorn, agrimony, mugwort, boldo, Centella asiatica, Cistus incanus, eucalyptus, birch, damiana, raspberry, lemon balm, blueberry, dandelion, sana makki, honeybush, kinkeliba, yerba mate, mint, Moringa oleifera, linden, rooibos, bergamot, Yucca, sisal (agave), Phormium, mother-in-law's tongue, henequen, pineapple, abaca (banana leaves) and any combination.

[0033] Liberian fibers may be obtained by cutting and/or crushing plant stems. Advantageously, these stems are pre-dried. The fibers obtained by cutting and/or crushing may also be dried again. They may comprise fibers of linden, ramie, papyrus, nettles, flax, barrel vine, kenaf, jute, Indian hemp, hemp (wool), and any combination.

[0034] Cellulose fibers can be obtained from cotton, wood, hemp, flax, and sugar cane.

[0035] Plant fibers, and therefore the smoking product, may or may not comprise bagasse. Bagasse fibers are fibrous residues from sugarcane that have been crushed to extract their juice. They are composed primarily of the plant's cellulose.

[0036] The cereal fiber(s) may comprise pieces of bran from the cereals in question. This bran, once dried, is ground to form these pieces. The cereal or cereals are selected from the following list: wheat, oats, buckwheat, and any combination.

[0037] The flower fibers may also comprise pieces of dried flowers. The flower or flowers are selected from the following list: rosebuds, chamomile, arnica, orange, cornflower, elderberry, ginkgo biloba, hibiscus, clover, lavender, passionflower, and any combination. The flowers are advantageously flowers of fruit trees, in particular apple trees, pear trees, etc. More generally, they are advantageously flowers capable of producing fruit.

[0038] These different types of plant fibers may be combined, in particular up to at least two or three types in question. By type of plant fibers, one may understand the various elements mentioned above, namely fruit fibers, leaf fibers, bast fibers, cellulose fibers, cereal fibers, and flower fibers. By type of plant fibers, one may also understand a plant family, a plant genus, or even a plant species.

[0039] Generally, the plant fibers detailed above have a moisture content of between 5 and 30% m/m. They are trimmed and/or ground so as to have an average principal surface area of between 1 and 20 mm2 and/or a principal dimension of between 0.1 and 20 mm. They are present in the smoking product at a concentration of between 2% m/m and 50% m/m.

[0040] Plant fibers other than tobacco are advantageous in that they constitute a fuel that releases a limited amount of carbon dioxide when heated.

[0041] Nicotine is advantageously of plant origin, extracted from tobacco. However, it can also be produced synthetically. It can also be a mixture of nicotine of plant origin and synthetic nicotine. The nicotine advantageously has a purity greater than or equal to 95%, preferably greater than or equal to 99%. Its name according to IUPAC nomenclature is (S)-3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)pyridine, CAS: 54-11-5, and its chemical formula is C10H14N2. It is in the form of a hygroscopic, oily, yellow liquid with a characteristic odor and turns brown when exposed to air.

[0042] Nicotine is an alkaloid that acts upon inhalation, ingestion, and contact. In the present case of hookah smoking products, nicotine acts upon inhalation. When inhaled, nicotine is absorbed through the blood capillaries in the lungs, crosses the blood-brain barrier, and reaches the brain within a few seconds without passing through the hepatic portal vein.

[0043] The inventors of the present invention have observed that the combination of glycerin, propylene glycol, non-tobacco plant fibers and nicotine in smoking products with a hookah provides the pharmacokinetic effects of passage to the brain that are similar to those of conventional hookahs while considerably reducing the harmful effects associated with the inhalation of tars resulting from the combustion of tobacco.

[0044] Nicotine has a concentration between 0.05 and 0.7% m/m, more preferably between 0.15 and 0.3% m/m.

[0045] This nicotine concentration range has been validated by consumer testing on a group of consumers described below.

[0046] In order to obtain an objective and precise population within the framework of these tests, regular hookah consumers of different sexes and ages were selected, namely:

- a group 1 of 20 people who had consumed substitute products for traditional hookah tobacco and were not satisfied and returned to traditional tobacco;

- Group 2 of 20 people who used traditional hookah tobacco and had never tried substitutes; and

- a group of 3 of 20 people who regularly used traditional hookah tobacco and had never tried substitutes, i.e. a total of 60 people who were accustomed to using hookah with nicotine.

[0047] Consumers were invited to several “hookah” sessions during which hookahs were prepared containing Herbal Shisha products with different nicotine levels of 0.05%, 0.10%, 0.15%, 0.20%, 0.30%, 0.40%, 0.50%, 0.60%, 0.70%, 0.80%, 0.90% and 1.00%. Herbal Shisha comprises, in addition to nicotine, glycerin, propylene glycol, plant fibers other than tobacco, in this case sugar cane bagasse. All hookahs were prepared in the same way, by the same person and contained 15 g of Herbal Shisha product.

[0048] After each session, each consumer was asked to rate the product he or she had tested out of 10 in terms of the nicotine-related sensation, namely the throat hit (sensation of contraction of the larynx as the vapor passes through during inhalation) and possible side and/or unpleasant effects. A score of 0 corresponds to an unsatisfactory sensation, a score of 5 corresponds to an acceptable sensation, and a score of 10 corresponds to a very satisfactory sensation.

[0049] The average scores of groups 1, 2 and 3 are shown in the graphs in Figures 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

[0050] It is observed that preferential concentrations vary according to the type of consumer. However, taking into account these different types of consumers, it can be deduced from these results that the preferential nicotine concentration ranges from 0.05% to 0.70%.

[0051] It should be noted that a majority of testers appreciated being able to vary the percentage and therefore the intensity of nicotine in the Herbal Shisha product, which they cannot do when using traditional tobacco, as the levels are not communicated and would tend, for those who consume alone, to consume a lower level of nicotine when not consuming the product socially and not having to “share” the hookah.

Claims (8)

1. Hookah smoking product, comprising: a vaporizable portion for inhalation, comprising: - glycerin, and - propylene glycol; and a fibrous support of the vaporizable part comprising plant fibers other than tobacco; characterized by the fact that the product also includes: - nicotine, with a purity of at least 95%, the nicotine being in a concentration between 0.05 and 0.7% m/m. 2. Smoking product according to claim 1, which does not comprise any tobacco or which comprises traces of tobacco with a concentration of less than 0.5% m/m. 3. Smoking product according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the plant fibers are selected from the following list: fruit fibers, leaf fibers, bast fibers, cellulose fibers, cereal fibers, flower fibers, and any combination. 4. Smoking product according to claim 3, wherein the plant fibers from cereal(s) are bran fibers from cereal(s). 5. Smoking product according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plant fibers are in a concentration between 2% m/m and 50% m/m. 6. Smoking product according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plant fibers are cut and/or crushed so that they have an average principal size of between 0.1 and 20 mm. 7. Smoking product according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plant fibers are cut and/or crushed so as to have an average principal surface area of between 1 and 20 mm2. 8. Smoking product according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the plant fibers have a moisture content of between 5 and 30% m/m.