Tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines in tobacco and mainstream smoke of Indian cigarettes.

Different brands of Indian cigarettes were analysed, by gas chromatography-thermal energy analysis, for the presence of carcinogenic tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNA) in both tobacco and mainstream smoke. Preformed TSNA in cigarette tobacco ranged between 68 and 730 ng N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN)/cigarette, between 19 and 174 ng 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)/cigarette and between 98 and 519 ng N-nitrosoanabasine (NAB) together with N-nitrosoanatabine (NAT)/cigarette. The amounts of NNN, NNK and NAB/NAT in mainstream smoke were 11-156, 7-73 and 17-146 ng/cigarette, respectively.