The present invention relates to the field of tobacco and smoking products, and more particularly to tobacco substitutes and smoking product substitutes.

It has long been scientifically established that smoking tobacco products is harmful to health. Besides being carcinogenic, and to cause cardiovascular diseases, tobacco affects also generally the skin, the blood vessels, the fertility as well as the upper respiratory tracts. It has been also well established that these adverse health effects of tobacco products affect not only the smokers but also the health of the passive smokers who are people not smoking themselves, but who inhale the smoke from tobacco products smoked by others nearby.

Moreover, the regular smoking of tobacco is addictive, which often makes it difficult for the tobacco smoker to stop smoking tobacco products. The addiction is actually both physical and psychological. The physical addiction is caused by the nicotine present in the tobacco, and the psychological addiction is rather a behavioural addiction caused by subjective aspects which make that smoking tobacco products gives a feeling of mental well-being. When stopping smoking tobacco products, it is necessary to deal with both of these two addictions.

In order to help smokers to stop smoking tobacco products, there are smoking product substitutes which contain tobacco substitutes. Among these current smoking product substitutes are the electronic cigarettes and the cigarettes with tobacco substitutes made with plants dried and shredded in an appropriate manner. Although the first group of smoking product substitutes contains tobacco substitutes with a sweet and pleasant taste and aroma, these substitutes present the disadvantage to be substantially chemical and synthetic compounds. For its part, the second group of smoking product substitutes which contain natural tobacco substitutes made with plants shows generally the inconvenience to give an unpleasant taste and/or aroma or both, so that the consumers fall back on the smoking of common tobacco compositions after a shorter or longer period.

The patent document published W093/1 1676 discloses tobacco substitutes made from mixture of plant parts that at least partially originate from Alchemilla vulgaris and/or Myrtus communis. Beside the fact that these tobacco substitutes are experienced by the smokers as not having the disadvantage of an unpleasant taste or aroma, they enable also to suppress the craving to smoke tobacco products, making therefore easier to overcome the psychological addiction to the tobacco products.

The patent document published W02014/106819 discloses on its side tobacco substitutes for the production of smoking products and smoking product substitutes which are also based on mixtures of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis plant parts but as well associated with caffeine-containing plant parts since at some concentrations the caffeine appears to have effects on the human body similar to the nicotine effects. These tobacco substitutes actually contain at least 5% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts which are substantially derived from Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis. The mixture of these plants enables to help suppress/alleviate the craving for nicotine as well as the craving for nicotine kick, and therefore to suppress/alleviate both the physical addiction and the psychological addiction to nicotine.

However, although aromatic and non-aromatic plant parts having a known action on the respiratory tracts can also be added in the mixture of the tobacco substitutes described above, the action of these plants is mainly antitussive, expectorant and/or antiseptic but has no effective repairing, cleaning, protective and emollient action on the mucosa and therefore they are not able to treat efficiently the common respiratory disorders suffered by the smokers. Moreover, the effects of these aromatic and non- aromatic plant parts are depending on their respective properties but also on their ratios. The composition of plants being season-dependent, location-dependent and climate-dependent, it is important to properly adjust these ratios, since an excessive amount of these plants can lead to an adverse effect on the aroma and the taste of the tobacco substitutes.

The invention has for technical problem to provide a solution to at least one of the drawbacks of the above cited prior art. More specifically, the invention has for technical problem to provide tobacco substitutes for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes based on a mixture of plant parts, which improve efficiently the respiratory tracts of the smokers in a simple and stable way.

For this purpose the invention is directed to tobacco substitute for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes, said tobacco substitute being based on a mixture of plant parts, wherein the mixture comprises plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis, at least 5% by weight of caffeine- containing plant parts derived from both Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis, and at least 10% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves, wherein the mixture further comprises 1 to 5% by weight of hyaluronic acid.

Advantageously, the hyaluronic acid shows a concentration comprised between 1 and 3%, preferably between 1.5 and 3%, more preferably between 2 and 3%.

According to a preferred embodiment, the ratio of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis with respect to the sum of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis is between 0.285 and 0.57.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises 20 to 50% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises 2 to 20% by weight of plant parts of Ilex paraguayensis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises 5 to 15% by weight of plant parts of Thea sinensis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the caffeine-containing plant parts are derived from Ilex paraguayensis leaves and Thea sinensis leaves.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises at least 1 % by weight of plant parts derived from Myrtus communis.

According to a preferred embodiment, the caffeine-containing plant parts make up 7 to 35% by weight of the mixture.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises plant parts of aromatic plants, extracts of aromatic plants, and/or synthetic equivalents of aromas of aromatic plants.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises plant parts of aromatic plants, wherein said plant parts of each aromatic plant make up a maximum of 20% by weight of the mixture. According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromas of aromatic plants, wherein said extracts and/or synthetic equivalents make up a maximum of 5% by weight of the mixture.

According to a preferred embodiment, the mixture comprises 20 to 50% by weight of Althea officinalis; 10 to 30% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris; 2 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis; 2 to 20% by weight of Myrtus communis; 5 to 15% by weight of Thea sinensis; 1 to 10% by weight of Asperula odorata; 1 to 20% by weight of the genus Rosa; 1 to 5% by weight of hyaluronic acid.

The invention is also directed to a smoking product, wherein the tobacco substitute is a tobacco substitute according to the invention.

The invention is also directed to a smoking product substitute comprising a tobacco substitute, wherein the tobacco substitute is a tobacco substitute according to the invention.

The invention is also directed to a method for the production of smoking products and/or smoking product substitutes, wherein a tobacco substitute based on plant parts is provided, and wherein the tobacco substitute is a tobacco substitute according to the invention.

The invention is interesting in that it provides new tobacco substitutes which can be used for the fabrication of smoking products and/or smoking products substitutes to help the smokers to stop smoking. These tobacco substitutes present the advantage to contribute to suppress both the psychological and the physical addiction for tobacco which occur during the first days of cessation, but also simultaneously to alleviate efficiently respiratory disorders of the smokers. The positive effect on the respiratory tracts of these new tobacco substitutes is actually caused by the presence of hyaluronic acid in a particular percentage. This compound is absorbed via the smoke in vapour form by the mucosa of the users and interestingly, the amount added enables to reduce the symptoms of the common respiratory disorders suffered by the smokers, such as the nasal mucosa, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, rhinitis.... To some extent, hyaluronic acid accelerates the process of repair of potential lesions, which are to be found on the mucosa due to inflammation/irritation, by its cleaning, protective and emollient action. This invention is even more interesting in that the effective action of hyaluronic acid on the respiratory disorder of the smokers is not subject to seasonal fluctuations in comparison to aromatic or non-aromatic plant parts added to help the upper respiratory tracts of the smokers. This stability has therefore for advantage that the concentration of hyaluronic acid in the tobacco substitutes is homogenous and can be easily modulated to create different range of smoking products and smoking product substitutes with different action levels on the respiratory system.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following detailed description. This description is given solely for the purpose of providing examples and indicating further advantages and particular characteristics of the present invention, and it cannot therefore by any means be interpreted as a limitation of the scope of application of the invention or of the patent rights set forth in the claims.

The term tobacco substitute refers to a material that can substitute tobacco.

Smoking products may include cigarettes, cigars, pipe filling and rolling tobacco. In smoking products all of the tobacco is replaced by the tobacco substitute.

Smoking product substitutes comprise a tobacco substitute and are used to help people stop smoking, and may comprise, for example, chewing gum, sweets, oral sprays, patches, etc.

The tobacco substitute is composed of a mixture of dried and shedded plant parts which are included in smoking products. However, it may be also an extract of the mixture of plant parts, which extract may be included in the smoking product substitutes. In this case, extraction is conducted using a suitable solvent and the resulted extract may then be dissolved in a liquid or mixed with a powder and then used in an aerosol device, metered aerosol device, powder inhaler, etc. Aerosol devices, puffers, and powder inhalers are advantageous in that they can be used without violating non-smoking regulations. It is also possible to place the extract in capsules for use in an electronic cigarette.

The terms upper airways or upper respiratory tracts comprise the nasal cavity, the pharynx and the larynx, and the terms lower airways or lower respiratory tracts comprise the trachea, the bronchial tubes and the bronchioles.

Caffeine is also referred to by the names theine, mateine, and guaranine. The tobacco substitute according to the invention is based on a mixture of plant parts. The mixture comprises plant parts derived from Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis, caffeine-containing plant parts derived from both Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis, hyaluronic acid and Althea officinalis leaves.

The combination of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis is effective in helping to eliminate the psychological addiction. The reason for this is that tobacco smokers find pleasant and agreable to smoke a tobacco substitute based on plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis. Indeed, the taste and aroma of the smoke from a mixture comprising these two plants is comparable to the taste and aroma of actual tobacco products. Generally, the more of Alchemilla vulgaris is present in the mixture, the more the smoking products produced therewith are experienced as light. In the same way, the more Myrtus communis is present in the mixture, the more the smoking products therewith are experienced as strong. The most effective plant parts to use in the mixture of the substitute are generally leaves as they do not cause any technical problems in drying and cutting for producing tobacco substitutes for cigarettes and cigars.

Concerning the caffeine, this compound is present in the tobacco substitute according to the invention, since this compound has effects on the human body that are similar to certain aspects of the effects of nicotine. Indeed, caffeine increases blood circulation, and therefore blood circulation to the brain, resulting in improved ability to concentrate and an activating/stimulating effect, as well as a reduction in appetite. In practice, when smoked, caffeine is rapidly absorbed via smoke in vapour form by the respiratory mucosa, allowing it to produce strong and short-term stimulation with a quite small amount. Therefore, caffeine-containing plant parts in a tobacco substitute according to the invention alleviate/suppress the nicotine kick and thus the physical addiction of tobacco, since nicotine is replaced by caffeine which has not the addictive properties of nicotine. Generally, at least 5% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts are actually necessary for suppressing/alleviating the craving for nicotine.

The fact that generally caffeine-containing plants adversaly effect the taste and aroma of the tobacco substitutes, is solved in this invention by using preferably together Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis which reciprocally neutralize their unpleasant aroma and taste properties. This neutralization is moreover strenghtened by the presence of Alchemilla vulgaris and Myrtus communis which, in addition to giving a pleasant and agreable taste, are also able to suppress unpleasant tastes and aromas from plant parts derived from other plant species.

It should be noted that the most favourably neutralized action of Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis is when the ratios of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis with respect to the sum of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis is between 0.285 and 0.570. From this it follows that the ratio of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis with respect to the sum of the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Ilex paraguayensis and the percentage by weight of plant parts derived from Thea sinensis is preferably between 0.430 and 0.715. At these ratios, the caffeine-containing plant parts have virtually no effect on the taste and aroma of the tobacco substitute and therefore mainly play the role of contributing to the caffeine supply.

The addition of hyaluronic acid in the mixture of the tobacco substitute according to the invention enables to produce a tobacco substitute which besides having an effect on the psychological and physical addiction of the smokers for the tobacco, enables also to treat and/or relieve effectively disorders of the upper airways by acting directly on the respiratory mucosa.

Hyaluronic acid is actually the main component of a family of polysaccharides containing amino sugars known as glycosaminoglycans, which are the fundamental element of the extracellular matrix in human. Hyaluronic acid is also the main anatomical and functional element of connective tissue and thus it is to be found ubiquitously in most of the tissues and organs, from skin to mucosa. One of its well known properties, among others, is to retain water in cellular matrix thus giving softness and elasticity to the mucosa.

The mixture of the tobacco substitute according to the invention comprises 1 to 5% by weight of hyaluronic acid but preferably 2% and more preferably 3% by weight since these percentages allow to obtain a better effectiveness without altering the taste of the tobacco substitute. Hyaluronic acid used in the mixture of the tobacco substitute is a HA-food grade powder, however other grade can also be used. Generally, the hyaluronic acid used has a molecular weight comprised between 100 kDa and 4000 kDa but preferably between 30 000 to 50 000 Da. It is also possible to use in the mixture hyaluronic acids with different molecular weight. Hyaluronic acid is added to the plant parts of Alchemilla vulgaris, Myrtus communis, Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis either during the process of their shedding or preferably after their drying. In any case, a shaking is realized to obtain a homogenous mixte of tobacco substitute which can be rolled by compression in a paper to form a smoking product/smoking product substitute.

An alternative consists also in suspending the hyaluronic acid or the mixte of hyaluronic acids in water or in an appropriate solvent and after in nebulizing homogenously this suspension on the mixture of shredded plant parts and leaving the mixture to dry.

In the tobacco substitute according to the invention, Althea officinalis are also added. This addition contributes in some extent to give a favourable taste but more particularly to provide favourable workability of the mixture. Indeed, after being cut, Althea officinalis leaves form a mixture which presents a mass capable of holding in place the smaller parts derived from the leaves of other plants having a finer leaf structure, such as Thea sinensis leaves or Myrtus communis, and which makes it more difficult to process the mixture. In processing of a tobacco substitute according to the invention for the production of cigarettes, cigars, rolling tobacco, pipe tobacco, it is particularly important that processing takes place in a favourable manner. Thus, if the mixture is to be used in a cigarette, it is transferred onto the cigarette paper via a ventilated flow in the machine. Then a filter is attached, and the cigarette paper has to be tightly folded and glued. However, the risk in machine production of a cigarette is that further fragmentation, dust formation and loss of the finer plant parts may occur. This can be prevented by extra compression of the material, but this means that excessively strong suction will be required to smoke the smoking product. Moreover, greater suction force also reduces burning temperature, thus increasing the content of tar and carbon monoxide. By using Althea officinalis leaves in the mixture of the tobacco substitutes, the above risk is avoided without requiring extra compression, as these leaves form a mass that holds the smaller parts together.

Advantageously, the mixture comprises plant parts of aromatic plants, extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromas of aromatic plants. The term aromatic plants refers to plants comprising components that can contribute to a certain favourable taste and/or favourable aroma of the mixture. If the mixture also comprises aromatic plants, extracts of aromatic plants, and/or synthetic equivalents of aromatic plants, it is possible to obtain a broad spectrum of various odours and/or tastes so that the tobacco substitute based on the mixture takes on the odour and/or taste properties of the most popular tobacco varieties, such as classic blonde Virginia tobacco, dark strong African tobacco, or aromatic Turkish tobacco.

The aromatic plants can be selected from the group: Trifolium pratense, Asperula odorata, petals of the genus Rosa, Vanilla planifolia, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Mentha piperata, Salvia officinalis, Thymus vulgaris and Eucalyptus globulus.

In a preferred embodiment of the the tobacco substitute according to the invention, the mixture of the tobacco substitute comprises:

- 20 to 50% by weight of Althea officinalis;

- 10 to 30% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris;

- 2 to 20 % by weight of Ilex paraguayensis;

- 2 to 20% by weight of Myrtus communis;

- 5 to 15% by weight of Thea sinensis;

- 1 to 5% by weight of hyaluronic acid;

- 1 to 10% by weight of Asperula odorata;

- 1 to 20% by weight of petals of the genus Rosa.

The percentages of 20 to 50% by weight of Althea officinalis leaves allow actually the most favourable results to be obtained with respect to processing of the mixture of the tobaccco substitute according to the invention in a machine production of cigarettes. Indeed, if Myrtus communis leaves, which provide generally smaller parts during processing, are used, these percentages of Althea officinalis leaves make sure, among other things, that the smaller plant parts are not lost. Advantageously, the percentage by weight of Althea officinalis leaves may be also 30% or 40% by weight.

A content of Althea officinalis ranging from 20 to 50% by weight also appears to have a favourable effect on the taste of the tobacco substitute.

At the percentages of 2 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis and 5 to 15% by weight of Thea sinensis, the tobacco substitute according to the invention contains sufficient caffeine and optimum taste of the tobacco substitute is also achieved. It should be noted that percentages of more than 15% by weight of Thea sinensis induce great deviations in taste. Preferably, the mixture of tobacco substitute according to the invention comprises an average of 7 to 35% by weight of caffeine-containing plant parts. The percentage by weight of the caffeine-containing plant parts is preferably greater than 7% by weight so that sufficient caffeine is present to suppress/alleviate the craving for nicotine. However, the caffeine content should preferably not be too high in order to prevent adverse effects caused by excessively high caffeine content such as cardiac rhythm disorders. An excessively high content of caffeine-containing plant parts also has an adverse effect on the taste and aroma of the tobacco substitute based on this mixture.

In this preferred embodiment, the mixture preferably comprises 2 to 20% of Myrtus communis and 10 to 30% of Alchemilla vulgaris. Myrtenol neutralizes the harmful free radicals released on burning of the tobacco substitute with the result that no or far fewer free radicals enter the respiratory tract.

In this preferred embodiement, the mixture of the tobacco substitute comprises a maximum of 20% by weight of petals of Rosa flos and 1 to 10% of Asperula odorata. These plants contain components that contribute to a favourable aroma and/or favourable taste of the tobacco substitute, and they impart an even better taste and aroma to the tobacco substitute, wherein the aroma and taste of tobacco substitute more closely resembles the aroma and taste of tobacco. However, other plant parts of aromatic plants can also be added in the mixture of the tobacco substitute.

In an alternative embodiment, the mixture of the tobacco substitute according to the invention comprises:

- 10 to 40% by weight of Altea officinalis;

- 1 to 61 % by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris;

- 15 to 20% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis and Thea sinensis;

- 1 to 61 % by weight of Myrtus communis;

- 1 to 5% by weight of hyaluronic acid;

- 1 to 10% by weight of Trifolium pratense;

- 4 to 10% by weight of Asperula odorata;

- 4 to 10% of petals of the genus Rosa;

- 1 to 5% by weight of extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromatic plants. In this alternative embodiment, the ideal content of caffeine-containing plant parts is 15 to 20% by weight of the tobacco mixture. At these percentages the caffeine content is optimal, and there is no risk of deviations in the taste and/or aroma of the tobacco substitute based on this mixture.

In this embodiment, preferably extracts of aromatic plants and/or synthetic equivalents of aromas of aromatic plants are used and make up a maximum of 5% by weight of the mixture of the tobacco substitute.

The present invention also provides the aforementioned method for the production of smoking products and/or smoking products substitutes, wherein a tobacco substitute based on plant parts is provided and wherein the tobacco substitute is a tobacco substitute as described above.

The tobacco substitute according to the invention is preferably composed of a powdered mixture of plant parts with hyaluronic acid which is included in the smoking product substitutes.

Examples of possible compositions of the mixture of a tobacco substitute according to the invention:

Example 1 :

Smoking products comprising a tobacco substitute which is a mixture according to the composition above with:

- 26% by weight of Althea officinalis;

- 25% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris;

- 5% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis;

- 20% by weight of Myrtus communis;

- 10% by weight of Thea sinensis;

- 3% by weight of hyaluronic acid;

- 5% by weight of Asperula odorata;

- 6% by weight of petals of the genus Rosa were given to 10 test subjects. 7 of the 10 test subjects found that after about 10 days of using the smoking products containing the tobacco substitute there was an effect on their respiratory system (upper and lower respiratory tracts), in particular on morning cough, bad breath, chronic bronchitis, but all test subjects found also that the need for their usual tobacco products was sharply reduced or even eliminated completely.

Example 2:

Smoking products comprising a tobacco substitute which is a mixture according to the composition above with:

- 15% by weight of Althea officinalis;

- 25% by weight of Alchemilla vulgaris;

- 5% by weight of Ilex paraguayensis;

- 20% by weight of Myrtus communis;

- 10% by weight of Tea sinensis;

- 3% by weight of hyaluronic acid;

- 9 % by weight of Trifolium pratense;

- 5% by weight of Asperulata odorata;

- 6% by weight of of petals of the genus Rosa;

- 1 .82 % by weight of syrup with Glycyrrhiza glabra extract;

- 0.18% of vanilla aroma/ethanol were given to 10 test subjects. 8 on the 10 test subjects found that after less 10 days of using the smoking products containing the tobacco substitute there was an effect on their respiratory system (upper and lower respiratory tracts), in particular on morning cough, bad breath, chronic bronchitis, but all test subjects found also that the need for their usual tobacco products was sharply reduced or even eliminated completely after 3 to 5 days of using these smoking products.

The smoking products of example 1 have been given to 30 test subjects. After 15 days of smoking these products at a rate equal to their normal smoking rate of the same product without the hyaluronic acid, 19 of them found a substantial reduction of their glairs, i.e. a reduction by a factor of at least three.

After 30 days of smoking these products at a rate equal to their normal smoking rate of the same product without the hyaluronic acid, 25 of them found that they could breathe more easily with no inconvenient glairs anymore.

The smoking products of example 2 have been given to 30 test subjects. After 15 days of smoking these products at a rate equal to their normal smoking rate of the same product without the hyaluronic acid, 18 of them found also a substantial reduction of their glairs.

After 30 days of smoking these products at a rate equal to their normal smoking rate of the same product without the hyaluronic acid, 26 of them found that they could breathe more easily with no inconvenient glairs anymore.

The smoking products of a product similar to example 1 with a hyaluronic acid concentration greater than 3 and not more than 5% have been given to 30 test subjects. Among them, 15 found a more bitter taste but still acceptable compared with examples 1 and 2, i.e. with a hyaluronic acid concentration of 3%.

It has been observed that beyond 5% of hyaluronic acid, most of the test subjects found the taste too bitter and not pleasant.