Shotgun metagenome sequencing of a Sudanese toombak snuff tobacco: genetic attributes of a high tobacco‐specific nitrosamine containing smokeless tobacco product

Abstract

Significance and Impact of the Study: A great deal of morbidity and mortality in Sudan is attributed to toombak due to carcinogenicity associated with the abundance of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). TSNAs are formed through a reaction of alkaloids, such as nicotine, and nitrite. Nitrite is a product of microbial metabolic processes. We used shotgun metagenome sequencing to identify microbial populations and the genetic content of a representative toombak sample. A better understanding of the microbial communities in toombak may be beneficial in development of mitigation or regulatory strategies targeting a reduction or elimination of microbes resulting in products with a potential for reduced harm.