Evaluation & Comparison of Nicotine quantification in smokeless tobacco products

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco products (STPS) represent a significant health risk and have been associated with oral and pancreatic cancers, oral lesions, coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes. So, the aim of the present study is to perform quantitative determination of nicotine, the main alkaloid of smokeless product (Gutkha) available in Vadodara, Gujarat. Method: Collection of sample was done from local tobacco selling shopkeeper from Vadodara i.e. vimal, RMD, pan vilas, rajnigandha and raag. All the samples included in the study the same products available everywhere in Gujarat. The quantification of nicotine was done by High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) using the mobile phase toluene: ethyl acetate: Diethylamine (6:4:0.5). Spectrodensitometric measurement was carried out at absorption maximum 254 nm. Results:  Five different smokeless tobacco samples were estimated using HPTLC method. Nicotine content was found to be 2.45% in Vimal, 3.11% in RMD, 2.60%- Pan Vilas, 3.06%- Rajigandha,3.32%- Raag. Conclusion: A considerable variation of nicotine content was found among the five investigated smokeless tobacco product where sample raag revealed the highest amount of nicotine than the other samples. The nicotine concentration of commercially available chewing tobacco products was found to be much lower than that of the smoking form of tobacco, but the higher average daily consumption made it comparable to the smoking form.