Study on Improving the Internal Quality of Tobacco Stems by Using Pectinase

[Objective] This study aimed to reduce the content of cell wall materials in tobacco stems and improve their internal quality. [Method] Pectinase was used to decompose cell wall materials in tobacco stems, followed by determination of the contents of four cell wall materials, six routine chemical components, as well as aroma constituents. [Result] Pectinase could effectively reduce the contents of cell wall materials in tobacco stems, with the largest decrease of 6.84%; after pectinase treatment,the content of reducing sugar in tobacco stems increased obviously, and the contents of total sugar, potassium ion, chloride ion and total nitrogen increased to varying degrees, of which the contents of potassium ion and reducing sugar displayed upward trends with the increase of pectinase concentration. Pectinase treatment significantly increased the contents of Maillard reaction products, with the most increase of 67.2%;the contents of carotenoid degradation products, phenylalanine degradation products and neophytadiene all increased to varying extents, and the contents of both Maillard reaction products and phenylalanine degradation products revealed ascending trends with the increase of pectinase concentration. [Conclusion] Pectinase treatment can effectively decompose cell wall materials in tobacco stems, improve routine chemical constituents, and increase the contents of aroma constituents.