# US 12,178,237 B2 · Protein-enriched tobacco composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,178,237 B2 - Document ID: US12178237B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/110,774 - Filed: 2023-02-16 - Published: 2023-06-22 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-10 - Assignees: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company - Applicants: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company - Inventors: John-Paul Mua; Gong Chen; Thaddeus Jude Jackson; Anthony Richard Gerardi; Kyle Ford; Barry Smith Fagg; Melissa Ann Clark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12178237B2 ## CPC - A24B 15/24: by extraction; Tobacco extracts - A24B 3/14: Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products (delustering A24C1/40) - A24B 13/00: Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14) - A24B 15/10: Chemical features of tobacco products or tobacco substitutes - A24B 15/32: by acyclic compounds - A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF ## Abstract The present disclosure provides protein-enriched, tobacco-containing products, suitable for use as oral formulations. Products of the present disclosure typically include at least one tobacco material (e.g., a particulate tobacco material or a tobacco-derived extract), at least one protein-enriched material (e.g., a tobacco-derived protein-enriched material), and at least one sugar alcohol. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product comprising: a tobacco material; a protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material in an amount of at least about 2 percent by dry weight; and one or more sugar alcohols in an amount of at least about 10 percent by dry weight, wherein the protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material comprises at least about 60 percent tobacco-derived protein by dry weight, wherein the product is chewable, and wherein the product is a single layer product comprising a mixture of the tobacco material, the protein-enriched tobacco-derived material, and the one or more sugar alcohols. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material comprises at least about 80 percent tobacco-derived protein by dry weight. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 2, wherein at least about 50 percent of the tobacco-derived protein by dry weight is RuBisCO. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 2, wherein at least about 80 percent of the tobacco-derived protein by dry weight is RuBisCO. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 2, wherein at least about 50 percent of the tobacco-derived protein by dry weight is F2 proteins. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises particulate tobacco. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 6, wherein the particulate tobacco comprises a mixture of flue-cured and sun-cured tobacco. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 6, wherein the particulate tobacco is present in an amount of at least about 10 percent by dry weight. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises a tobacco extract. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the one or more sugar alcohols are selected from the group consisting of erythritol, arabitol, ribitol, isomalt, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising a natural gum binder in an amount of between about 2 percent and about 10 percent by dry weight. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco composition of claim 11, wherein the natural gum binder component is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, xanthan gum, guar gum, ghatti gum, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising a binder in an amount of between about 5 percent and about 20 percent by dry weight. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 13, wherein the binder comprises pregelatinized rice starch. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising one or more fillers in an amount of between about 5 percent and about 20 percent by dry weight. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 15, wherein the one or more fillers comprise a polysaccharide filler, a starch filler, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 15, wherein the one or more fillers are selected from the group consisting of rice flour, maltodextrin, calcium carbonate, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of flavorants, sweeteners, emulsifiers, disintegration aids, humectants, buffering agents, salts, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises glycerin. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, comprising: at least about 20 dry weight percent of the tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material comprises particulate tobacco; and between about 5 percent and about 20 dry weight percent of a filler, wherein the filler comprises a combination of a polysaccharide filler and a starch filler, and wherein the tobacco-derived protein comprises at least about 80% by dry weight RuBisCO. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, comprising: at least about 20 dry weight percent of the tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material comprises particulate tobacco; at least about 2 dry weight percent of a natural gum binder; and at least about 10 dry weight percent of a binder other than a natural gum binder, wherein the tobacco-derived protein comprises at least about 80% by dry weight RuBisCO. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, comprising: at least about 20 dry weight percent of the tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material comprises particulate tobacco; and between about 5 percent and about 20 percent by dry weight of a filler, wherein the filler comprises a combination of a polysaccharide filler and a starch filler, at least about 2 dry weight percent of a natural gum binder; and at least about 10 dry weight percent of a binder other than a natural gum binder, wherein the tobacco-derived protein comprises at least about 80% by dry weight RuBisCO. ### Claim 23 A method of preparing a protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product, comprising: combining a dry mixture comprising a tobacco material, a protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material; and one or more sugar alcohols, wherein the protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material comprises at least about 60 percent tobacco-derived protein by dry weight, with a wet mixture comprising salt and flavorants to give a combined mixture; and extruding the combined mixture to give a protein-enriched smokeless tobacco product comprising the protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material in an amount of at least about 2 percent by dry weight and the one or more sugar alcohols in an amount of at least about 10 percent by dry weight, wherein the product is chewable, and wherein the product is a single layer product comprising a mixture of the tobacco material, the protein-enriched, tobacco-derived material, and the one or more sugar alcohols.