Extraction and analysis of nicotine (3-(1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)pyridine) from cigarettes using small volume liquid extraction and ultrasonic bath system technique

Abstract

The tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plant belongs to solanaceae family. It is an annual herbaceous plant. Over 0.45 million hectares of land are used for growing tobacco commercially, with a total production of over 750 million kg of tobacco. According to the Global adult tobacco survey held in the year 2016-2017, there are nearly 267 million adults (above 15 years of age) in India abusing tobacco. Nicotine can be extracted from biological samples by liquid-liquid extraction, small volume liquid extraction, etc. Thin-layer chromatography is a very effective technique as it can be employed for many samples simultaneously, which is cost-effective and easy to perform without any errors. A new technique, the Ultrasonic bath technique (Sonication technique) is used for the same. Four different types of solvents were used for extraction purposes out of which two gave favorable results. This methodology is proven to be cost-effective, consumes fewer chemicals, less manpower, and is effective.