RU2831585C1 - Novel aerosol-generating substrate containing rosemary species - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: smoking accessories.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to aerosol-generating articles. Aerosol-generating article (1000), (4000a, 4000b), (5000) comprises aerosol-generating substrate (1020), obtained from homogenised rosemary material containing from 1% to 25% by weight of rosemary particles, from 5% to 30% by weight of a substance for forming an aerosol and from 1% to 10% by weight of a binder in terms of dry weight.

EFFECT: invention enables to obtain a substrate for a heated aerosol-generating article which provides an aerosol with improved taste/aroma and a feeling of filling the mouth cavity.

15 cl, 8 dwg, 3 tbl, 1 ex

Description

The present invention relates to aerosol-generating substrates containing homogenized plant material obtained from rosemary particles and to aerosol-generating articles containing such an aerosol-generating substrate. The present invention further relates to an aerosol obtained from an aerosol-generating substrate containing rosemary particles.

Aerosol-generating articles in which an aerosol-generating substrate, such as a tobacco-containing substrate, is heated rather than burned are known in the art. Typically, in such articles, an aerosol is generated by heat transfer from a heat source to a physically separate aerosol-generating substrate or material, which may be located in contact with, within, around, or downstream of the heat source. During use of the aerosol-generating article, volatile compounds are released from the substrate by heat transfer from the heat source and are entrained in air drawn through the article. As the released compounds cool, they condense to form an aerosol.

Some aerosol-generating articles contain a flavoring agent that is delivered to the consumer during use of the article to create other sensory experiences for the consumer, such as enhancing the taste/aroma of the aerosol. The flavoring agent may be used to create a taste sensation (taste) and/or an olfactory sensation (smell) for the user inhaling the aerosol. It is known to provide heated aerosol-generating articles that include flavoring agents.

It is also known to provide flavoring agents in conventional combustible cigarettes, which are smoked by lighting the end of the cigarette opposite the mouthpiece, causing the tobacco rod to burn, creating inhaled smoke. One or more flavoring agents are typically mixed with the tobacco in the tobacco rod to impart additional flavor/aroma to the inhaled smoke when the tobacco is burned. Such flavoring agents may be provided, for example, in the form of an essential oil.

The aerosol from a conventional cigarette, which contains many components that interact with receptors located in the mouth, provides a sensation of "mouth fullness", i.e. a relatively strong sensation in the mouth. The expression "mouth feel" as used herein refers to the physical sensations in the mouth created by a food, drink or aerosol, and is distinct from taste. It is a fundamental sensory property that, along with taste and smell, determines the overall taste/aroma of a food product or aerosol.

There are difficulties associated with reproducing the consumer experience provided by conventional combustible cigarettes in aerosol-generating products in which the aerosol-generating substrate is heated rather than burned. This is partly due to the lower temperatures achieved during heating of such aerosol-generating products, which results in a different profile of the volatile compounds released.

It would be desirable to provide such a new aerosol-generating substrate for a heated aerosol-generating article that would provide an aerosol with improved flavor/aroma and mouth-filling sensation. It would be particularly desirable that such an aerosol-generating substrate be capable of providing an aerosol with a sensory experience comparable to that provided by a conventional combustible cigarette.

It would also be desirable to provide such an aerosol generating substrate that can be easily incorporated into an aerosol generating article and that can be manufactured using existing high-speed methods and devices.

The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material comprising rosemary particles. The homogenized rosemary material may contain from 1 percent by weight to 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles, based on dry weight. The homogenized rosemary material may contain from 5 percent by weight to 30 percent by weight of an aerosol-forming substance, based on dry weight. The homogenized rosemary material may contain from 1 percent by weight to 10 percent by weight of a binder, based on dry weight.

According to the present invention, an aerosol-generating article is proposed, comprising an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material containing rosemary particles. According to the present invention, the homogenized rosemary material contains: from 1 percent by weight to 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles, calculated on a dry weight basis; from 5 percent by weight to 30 percent by weight of an aerosol-forming substance, calculated on a dry weight basis, and from 1 percent by weight to 10 percent by weight of a binder, calculated on a dry weight basis.

According to the present invention, the aerosol-generating substrate contains at least 50 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 20 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis and at least 0.3 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, when the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating article is heated according to test method A described below, an aerosol is generated comprising: at least 30 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 1 microgram of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; and at least 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, when the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate may contain betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 micrograms per puff of the aerosol. When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate may contain rosmarindiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol. When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate may contain 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol. The puff of the aerosol has a volume of 55 milliliters when generated by a smoking machine.

The present invention also relates to an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material containing rosemary particles. The homogenized plant material may contain from 1 percent by weight to 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles. For example, the rosemary material may contain from 5 percent by weight to 30 percent by weight of an aerosol-forming substance. The homogenized rosemary material may contain from 1 percent by weight to 10 percent by weight of a binder.

According to the present invention, there is also provided an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material, wherein the homogenized rosemary material contains from 1 percent by weight to 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles, from 5 percent by weight to 30 percent by weight of an aerosol-forming substance, and from 1 percent by weight to 10 percent by weight of a binder.

Preferably, the homogenized rosemary material further comprises at least 50 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, at least 20 micrograms of rosmarin diphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis, and at least 0.3 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

The present invention further relates to an aerosol produced by heating an aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol may contain betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 micrograms per puff of the aerosol. The aerosol may contain rosmaridiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol. The aerosol may contain 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol. The puff of the aerosol has a volume of 55 milliliters when generated by a smoking machine.

According to the present invention, an aerosol is further provided, produced by heating an aerosol-generating substrate; this aerosol comprises: betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 micrograms per puff of the aerosol; rosmaridiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol and 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol, wherein the puff of the aerosol has a volume of 55 milliliters, when generated by a smoking machine.

The present invention further provides a method for producing an aerosol-generating substrate, comprising: obtaining a suspension containing rosemary particles, water, an aerosol-forming substance, a binder and, if necessary, tobacco particles; casting or extruding the suspension in the form of sheets or threads and drying the sheets or threads at a temperature in the range from 80 to 160 degrees Celsius. After forming a sheet of the aerosol-generating substrate, this sheet can be cut into threads if necessary, or this sheet can be collected to form a rod. The sheet can be corrugated before the collecting step if necessary.

Any references below to aerosol-generating substrates and aerosols of the present invention should be construed as applicable to all aspects of the present invention unless otherwise indicated.

As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating article" refers to an article for creating an aerosol that contains an aerosol-generating substrate that is suitable and designed to be heated or combusted to release volatile compounds that can form an aerosol. A conventional cigarette is lit when a user applies a flame to one end of the cigarette and draws air through the other end. The localized heat provided by the flame and the oxygen in the air drawn through the cigarette causes the end of the cigarette to light, and the resulting combustion creates inhalable smoke. In contrast, in "heated aerosol-generating articles," the aerosol is generated by heating the aerosol-generating substrate rather than by combusting the aerosol-generating substrate. Known heated aerosol-generating articles include, for example, electrically heated aerosol-generating articles and aerosol-generating articles in which the aerosol is generated by heat transfer from a combustible heat-generating element or heat source to a physically separate aerosol-generating substrate.

Also known are aerosol-generating articles that are capable of being used in an aerosol-generating system that supplies an aerosol-forming substance to the aerosol-generating articles. In such a system, the aerosol-generating substrate in the aerosol-generating articles contains substantially less aerosol-forming substance than the aerosol-generating substrate that carries and provides essentially all of the aerosol-forming substance used to form the aerosol during operation.

As used herein, the term "aerosol-generating substrate" refers to a substrate that is capable of releasing volatile compounds upon heating that can form an aerosol. The aerosol generated from aerosol-generating substrates may be visible or invisible to the human eye, and may contain vapors (e.g., finely dispersed particles of substances that are in a gaseous state and are typically liquid or solid at room temperature), as well as gases and liquid droplets of condensed vapors.

As used herein, the term "homogenized plant material" encompasses any plant material obtained by agglomerating plant particles. For example, sheets or webs of homogenized plant material for aerosol-generating substrates according to the present invention can be obtained by agglomerating plant material particles obtained by grinding, milling or triturating rosemary plant material and, optionally, tobacco material such as tobacco leaf blades or tobacco leaf petioles. The homogenized plant material can be obtained by casting, extrusion, papermaking or any other suitable methods known in the art.

As used herein, the term "homogenized rosemary material" refers to homogenized plant material containing rosemary particles, optionally in admixture with tobacco particles. The term "homogenized tobacco material" refers to homogenized plant material containing tobacco particles but not rosemary particles, and thus does not correspond to the present invention.

As used herein, the term "rosemary particles" includes particles obtained from Rosmarinus officinalis , preferably particles obtained from the dried leaves and flowers of the Rosmarinus officinalis plant (Lamiaceae). Rosmarinus officinalis is a woody perennial herb with aromatic evergreen needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple or blue flowers. The plant is native to the Mediterranean region and Asia and is also known as Salvia rosmarinus .

Rosemary is commonly used as a flavoring agent. Fresh or dried leaves are a staple of traditional Mediterranean cuisine due to their characteristic aroma that complements many prepared dishes. Rosemary extracts are often used in perfumes, shampoos, cleaning products or air fresheners.

In contrast, rosemary essential oil is a distillate and rosmaridiphenol is a compound derived from rosemary. They are not considered rosemary particles and are not included in the percentage of particulate plant material.

The present invention provides an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized plant material that includes rosemary particles and may be referred to as "homogenized rosemary material". The present invention also provides an aerosol obtained from such an aerosol-generating substrate. The inventors of the present invention have found that by including rosemary particles in the aerosol-generating substrate, an advantage is provided in that an aerosol can be created that provides new sensory sensations. Such an aerosol provides a unique taste/aroma, and it is capable of providing an increased level of sensation of filling the oral cavity.

In addition, the present inventors have found that it is advantageous to create an aerosol with an improved rosemary aroma and flavor compared to an aerosol created by adding rosemary additives, such as rosemary oil. Rosemary oil (Chemical Imprint Service Registry No. 8000-25-7) is obtained by steam distillation from the branches and flowering tops of rosemary and contains a composition of flavors that differ from rosemary particles, presumably due to the distillation process, which can selectively remove or retain certain flavors. 1,8-cineole, nut plants obtained from Spanish oil, are the main ones, as well as rose plants obtained from Spanish. Verbenone is also found in trace amounts in North African rosemary oils, but in Spanish rosemary oils it is found in slightly higher amounts.

Additionally, in some aerosol-generating substrates disclosed herein, rosemary particles may be included at a level sufficient to provide the desired rosemary flavor/aroma while maintaining a sufficient amount of tobacco material to provide the desired nicotine level to the consumer.

In addition, it was unexpectedly found that the inclusion of rosemary particles in an aerosol-generating substrate provides a significant reduction in certain undesirable aerosol compounds compared to an aerosol generated from an aerosol-generating substrate containing 100 percent tobacco particles without rosemary particles.

The presence of rosemary in homogenized plant material (such as cast leaf) can be accurately determined using DNA barcoding. Methods for performing DNA barcoding based on the nuclear ITS2 gene, the rbcL and matK system, and the plastid intergenic spacer trnH-psbA are well known in the art and can be used (Chen S, Yao H, Han J, Liu C, Song J, et al. (2010) Validation of the ITS2 Region as a Novel DNA Barcode for Identifying Medicinal Plant Species. PLoSONE 5(1): e8613; Hollingsworth PM, Graham SW, Little DP (2011) Choosing and Using a Plant DNA Barcode. PLoS ONE 6(5): e19254).

The inventors of the present invention have carried out a comprehensive analysis and characterization of aerosols generated from aerosol-generating substrates according to the present invention and containing rosemary particles and a mixture of rosemary and tobacco particles, and these aerosols have been compared with aerosols created from existing aerosol-generating substrates obtained from tobacco material without rosemary particles. Based on this, the inventors of the present invention have succeeded in identifying a group of "characteristic compounds", which are compounds present in aerosols and obtained from rosemary particles. Thus, detection of said characteristic compounds in an aerosol within a specific range of weight fraction can be used to identify aerosols obtained from an aerosol-generating substrate containing rosemary particles. These characteristic compounds are not present in an appreciable amount in an aerosol generated from tobacco material. In addition, the proportion of the characteristic compounds in the aerosol and the ratio of the characteristic compounds to each other clearly indicate the use of rosemary plant material, rather than rosemary oil. Similarly, the presence of these characteristic compounds in specific proportions in the aerosol-generating substrate indicates the incorporation of rosemary particles into the substrate.

In particular, the determined levels of the characteristic compounds in the substrate and the aerosol are specific for the rosemary particles present in the homogenized rosemary material. The level of each characteristic compound depends on the way in which the rosemary particles were processed during the production of the homogenized rosemary material. The level also depends on the composition of the homogenized rosemary material and, in particular, will be affected by the level of other components in the homogenized rosemary material. The level of the characteristic compounds in the homogenized plant material will differ from the level of the same compound in the original rosemary material. It will also differ from the level of the characteristic compounds in materials containing rosemary particles, but not corresponding to the present invention, as defined herein.

In order to perform aerosol characterization, the present inventors used complementary non-targeted differential screening (NTDS) using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution accurate-mass mass spectrometry (LC-HRAM-MS) in parallel with two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS).

Non-targeted screening (NTS) is a key technique for characterizing the chemical composition of complex matrices by either matching the properties of unknown detected compounds with spectral databases (suspect screening analysis (SSA)) or, in the absence of a match to prior knowledge, by elucidating the structure of unknown compounds using, for example, matching information obtained from first-order fragmentation (MS/MS) with fragments predicted in silico (by computer modeling) from compound databases (non-targeted analysis (NTA)). This enables the simultaneous measurement and semi-quantitation of large numbers of small molecules from samples in an unbiased approach.

If the focus is on comparing two or more aerosol samples as described above to assess any significant differences in chemical composition between the samples in an uncontrolled manner, or if prior knowledge relevant to the group is available between sample groups, then non-targeted differential screening (NTDS) may be performed. A complementary differential screening approach using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution accurate-mass mass spectrometry (LC-HRAM-MS) in parallel with two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-TOFMS) was applied to provide comprehensive analytical coverage to identify the most relevant differences in aerosol composition between aerosols generated from products containing 100% by weight rosemary as particulate plant material and aerosols generated from products containing 100% by weight tobacco as particulate plant material.

Aerosol generation and collection were accomplished using the devices and techniques detailed below.

LC-HRAM-MS analysis was performed using a Thermo QExactive ^TM high-resolution mass spectrometer in both full-scan and data-dependent modes. A total of three different methods were used to cover a wide range of substances with different ionisation properties and compound classes. Samples were analysed using reversed-phase chromatography with heated electrospray ionisation (HESI) in both positive and negative modes and atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation (APCI) in positive mode. These methods are described in the following publications: Arndt, D. et al., “In depth characterization of chemical differences between heat-not-burn tobacco products and cigarettes using LC-HRAM-MS-based non-targeted differential screening” (DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.11752.16643); Wachsmuth, C. et al., “Comprehensive chemical characterisation of complex matrices through integration of multiple analytical modes and databases for LC-HRAM-MS-based non-targeted screening” (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.12701.61927); and “Increasing confidence for compound identification by fragmentation database and in silico fragmentation comparison with LC-HRAM-MS-based non-targeted screening of complex matrices” (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.17944.49927), all taken from Proceedings of the 66th American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conference on Mass Spectrometry and Related Topics, San Diego, USA (2018). The methods are further described in the following papers: Arndt, D. et al., “A complex matrix characterization approach, applied to cigarette smoke, that integrates multiple analytical methods and compound identification strategies for non-targeted liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry” (DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8571).

GCxGC-TOFMS analysis was performed using an Agilent GC model 6890A or 7890A equipped with an automated liquid injector (model 7683B) and a thermal modulator coupled to a LECO Pegasus 4D™ mass spectrometer using three different methods for non-polar, polar, and highly volatile compounds in the aerosol. The methods are described in the following publications: Almstetter et al., “Non-targeted screening using GC×GC-TOFMS for in-depth chemical characterization of aerosol from a heat-not-burn tobacco product” (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.36010.31688/1); and Almstetter et al., “Non-targeted differential screening of complex matrices using GC×GC-TOFMS for comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition and determination of significant differences” (DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32692.55680), taken from Proceedings of the 66th and 64th American Society for Mass Spectrometry (ASMS) Conferences on Mass Spectrometry and Related Topics, San Diego, USA, respectively.

The results of the analytical methods provided information on the main compounds responsible for the differences in aerosols generated by such articles. The main focus of the untargeted differential screening using both the LC-HRAM-MS and GCxGC-TOFMS analytical platforms were compounds that were present in higher amounts in aerosols from a sample of the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention containing 100 percent rosemary particles compared to a comparative sample of the aerosol-generating substrate containing 100 percent tobacco particles. The NTDS methodology is described in the publications listed above.

Based on this information, the present inventors were able to identify specific compounds in the aerosol that can be considered "characteristic compounds" derived from rosemary particles in the substrate. Characteristic compounds unique to rosemary include, but are not limited to, betulinic acid ((3 beta)-3-hydroxy-20(29)-lupaene- ₂₈ -oic acid, chemical formula: _{C30H48O3 ,} Chemical Abstracts Service Registry #472-15-1); rosmaridiphenol (4,5-dihydroxy-12,12-dimethyl-6-(propan-2-yl)tricyclo[9.4.0.0³, ⁸ ]pentadeca-3,5,7-trien-2-one), chemical formula: C ₂₀ H ₂₈ O ₃ , Chemical Abstracts Service Registry No. 1729-95-2; and 12-O-methylcarnosol, chemical formula: C ₂₁ H ₂₈ O ₄ , Chemical Abstracts Service Registry Number 85514-27-8.

For the purposes of the present invention, targeted screening may be performed on a sample of an aerosol-generating substrate to identify the presence and amount of each of the characteristic compounds in the substrate. Such a targeted screening method is described below. According to the description, the characteristic compounds may be detected and measured both in the aerosol-generating substrate and in the aerosol obtained from the aerosol-generating substrate.

As defined above, the aerosol-generating article of the present invention comprises an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material containing rosemary particles. As a result of the inclusion of rosemary particles, the aerosol-generating substrate contains certain proportions of "characteristic compounds" of rosemary, as described above. In particular, the aerosol-generating substrate contains at least 50 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, at least 20 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, and at least 0.3 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, based on dry weight.

By defining the required levels of characteristic compounds for the aerosol-generating substrate, reproducibility between products can be ensured despite potential differences in the levels of characteristic compounds in the starting materials. This provides the advantage of being able to more effectively control the quality of the product.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises at least about 100 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 250 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 500 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises no more than about 4000 micrograms of eugenol acetate per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 2500 micrograms of eugenol acetate per gram of substrate, and more preferably no more than about 1500 micrograms of eugenol acetate per gram of substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generating substrate preferably comprises no more than about 2000 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 1750 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 1500 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, and more preferably no more than about 1000 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, based on dry weight.

For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may contain from about 50 micrograms to about 2000 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, or from about 100 micrograms to about 1750 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, or from about 250 micrograms to about 1500 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate, or from about 500 micrograms to about 100 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises at least about 50 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 100 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 200 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises no more than about 1000 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 800 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 700 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, and more preferably no more than about 600 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may contain from about 20 micrograms to about 1000 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, or from about 50 micrograms to about 800 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, or from about 100 micrograms to about 700 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, or from about 200 micrograms to about 600 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises at least about 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 2 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 4 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises no more than about 20 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 18 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, more preferably no more than about 15 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, and more preferably no more than about 12 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may contain from about 0.3 micrograms to about 20 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, or from about 1 microgram to about 18 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, or from about 2 micrograms to about 15 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate, or from about 4 micrograms to about 12 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the ratio of the characteristic compounds in the aerosol-generating substrate is such that the amount of betulinic acid per gram of substrate is at least 2 times greater than the amount of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, more preferably 2.5 times greater than the amount of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, even more preferably 3 times greater than the amount of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate.

This ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridiphenol characterizes the incorporation of rosemary particles into the aerosol-generating substrate.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises greater than 0.5 percent by weight of 1,8-cineole on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises greater than about 1 percent by weight of 1,8-cineole on a dry weight basis.

As defined above, the present invention also provides an aerosol-generating article that comprises an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material containing rosemary particles, wherein upon heating the aerosol-generating substrate, an aerosol is generated that contains "characteristic compounds" of rosemary.

For the purposes of the present invention, the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to "test method A". According to test method A, an aerosol-generating article that contains an aerosol-generating substrate is heated in a holder of a tobacco heating system 2.2 (THS2.2 holder) according to a machine smoking regimen approved by Health Canada. For the purposes of performing test method A, the aerosol-generating substrate is provided in an aerosol-generating article compatible with the THS2.2 holder.

The tobacco heating system 2.2 holder (THS2.2 holder) corresponds to the commercially available IQOS device (Philip Morris Products SA, Switzerland) as described in Smith et al., 2016, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. 81(S2)S82-S92. Aerosol-generating products for use in combination with the IQOS device are also commercially available.

The Health Canada smoking regimen is a clearly defined and accepted smoking protocol as defined in Health Canada 2000 - Tobacco Products Information Regulations SOR/2000-273, Schedule 2, published by Justice Canada. The test method is described in ISO/TR 19478-1:2014. In the Health Canada smoking test, aerosol is collected from a sample of an aerosol-generating substrate over 12 puffs with a puff volume of 55 millimetres, a puff duration of 2 seconds and an inter-puff interval of 30 seconds, with ventilation completely blocked if present.

Thus, in the context of the present invention, the expression "under heating the aerosol-generating substrate according to test method A" means heating the aerosol-generating substrate in the THS2.2 holder according to the machine smoking mode approved by Health Canada, as defined in the document "Health Canada 2000 - Tobacco Products Information Regulations SOR/2000-273, Schedule 2" published by the Department of Justice Canada, said test method being described in the standard ISO/TR 19478-1:2014.

For analytical purposes, the aerosol generated by heating the aerosol generating substrate is captured using a suitable device depending on the analytical method to be used. According to a suitable method for generating samples for analysis by LC-HRAM-MS, the dispersed phase is captured using a conditioned 44 mm Cambridge glass fibre filter pad (according to ISO 3308) and a filter holder (according to ISO 4387 and ISO 3308). The remaining gas phase is collected downstream of the filter pad using two successive microimpingers (20 ml), each containing methanol and an internal standard (ISTD) solution (10 ml) and maintained at -60 °C using a mixture of dry ice and isopropanol. The trapped dispersed phase and gas phase are then re-mixed and extracted using methanol from the microimpingers by shaking the sample, vigorously mixing for 5 minutes and centrifuging (4500 G, 5 minutes, 10 degrees Celsius). The resulting extract is diluted with methanol and mixed in an Eppendorf Thermomixer (5 degrees Celsius, 2000 rpm). Test samples from the extract are analyzed by LC-HRAM-MS with a combination of full scan mode and data-dependent fragmentation mode to identify characteristic compounds. For the purposes of the present invention, the LC-HRAM-MS analysis is suitable for the identification and quantification of betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol and 12-O-methylcarnosol.

Samples for GCxGC-TOFMS analysis can be generated in a similar manner, however, different solvents are suitable for GCxGC-TOFMS analysis to extract and analyze polar compounds, non-polar compounds, and volatile compounds isolated from bulk aerosol.

For non-polar and polar compounds, the bulk aerosol is collected using a conditioned 44 mm Cambridge glass fibre filter pad (ISO 3308) and a filter holder (ISO 4387 and ISO 3308) and two microimpingers are connected and sealed in series. Each microimpinger (20 ml) contains 10 ml of dichloromethane/methanol (80:20 v/v) containing the internal standard (ISTD) and retention index marker (RIM) compounds. The microimpingers are maintained at -80 °C using a mixture of dry ice and isopropanol. For analysis of non-polar compounds, the dispersed phase of the bulk aerosol is extracted from the glass fibre filter pad using the contents of the microimpingers. Add water to an aliquot (10 mL) of the resulting extract and vortex and centrifuge the resulting sample as described above. Separate the dichloromethane layer, dry with sodium sulfate and analyze by GCxGC-TOFMS in full scan mode. For the analysis of polar compounds, use the water layer remaining from the above preparation of the non-polar sample. Add ISTD and RIM compounds to the water layer, which is then analyzed directly by GCxGC-TOFMS in full scan mode.

For volatile compounds, the total aerosol is collected using two sealed microimpingers (20 mL) connected in series, each filled with 10 mL of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) containing ISTD and RIM compounds. The microimpingers are maintained at -50 to -60 °C using a mixture of dry ice and isopropanol. After collection, the contents of the two microimpingers are mixed and analyzed by GCxGC-TOFMS in full scan mode.

For the purposes of the present invention, GCxGC-TOFMS analysis is suitable for the identification and quantification of 12-O-methylcarnosol.

The aerosol generated by heating the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention according to test method A is preferably characterized by the amounts and ratios of the characteristic compounds, betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol and 12-O-methylcarnosol, defined above.

Preferably, in an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate as described above, when this aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A, the generated aerosol comprises at least 30 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 1 microgram of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis and at least 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

The ranges specified define the amount of each of the characteristic compounds in the generated aerosol per gram of aerosol-generating substrate (also referred to herein as "substrate"). This is equal to the total amount of the characteristic compound measured in the aerosol collected during test method A divided by the dry weight of the aerosol-generating substrate before heating.

When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A, an aerosol is preferably generated that preferably contains at least about 30 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

More preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention comprises at least about 100 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Even more preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention comprises at least about 250 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises up to about 1500 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 1000 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Even more preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substrate contains up to about 800 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A, an aerosol is generated that preferably contains at least about 1 microgram of rosmarin diphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention further comprises at least about 10 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention comprises at least about 25 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises up to about 100 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 75 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Even more preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substrate contains up to about 50 micrograms of rosmarin diphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to Test Method A, an aerosol is generated that preferably contains at least about 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention comprises at least about 10 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Even more preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention comprises at least about 25 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises up to about 100 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 75 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. Even more preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substrate contains up to about 50 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

In some embodiments, the aerosol generated from the aerosol generator of the present invention comprises at least 30 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 1 microgram of rosmarindiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis, and at least 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention during test method A further comprises at least about 0.1 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 1 microgram of nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 2 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate. Preferably, the aerosol comprises up to about 10 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 7.5 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 4 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate. For example, the aerosol may comprise from about 0.1 micrograms to about 10 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 1 microgram to about 7.5 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 2 micrograms to about 4 micrograms of nicotine per gram of substrate. In some embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol may contain zero micrograms of nicotine.

Various methods known in the art may be used to measure the amount of nicotine in an aerosol.

Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol obtained from the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention during the implementation of test method A may optionally further comprise at least about 20 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 50 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 100 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate. Preferably, the aerosol comprises up to about 250 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 200 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 150 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate. For example, the aerosol may contain from about 20 milligrams to about 250 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate, or from about 50 milligrams to about 200 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate, or from about 100 milligrams to about 150 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per gram of substrate. In some embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol may contain zero micrograms of cannabinoid compound.

Preferably, the cannabinoid compound is selected from cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol. More preferably, the cannabinoid compound is cannabidiol.

Various methods known in the art may be used to measure the amount of cannabinoid compound in an aerosol.

Carbon monoxide may also be present in the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention during the implementation of test method A, and it is possible to measure it and use it to further characterize the aerosol. Nitrogen oxides such as nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide may also be present in the aerosol, and it is possible to measure them and use them to further characterize the aerosol.

According to the present invention, in the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate during the implementation of test method A, the amount of betulinic acid per gram of substrate is preferably at least 5 times greater than the amount of rosmarin diphenol per gram of substrate.

More preferably, the amount of betulinic acid in the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate during test method A is at least 10 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, so that the ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridiphenol is at least 10:1. Even more preferably, the amount of betulinic acid in the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate during test method A is at least 20 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate, so that the ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridiphenol is at least 20:1.

In preferred embodiments, the amount of betulinic acid in the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate during test method A is such that the ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridifenol is from 5:1 to 20:1.

The specific ratios of betulinic acid to rosmaridifenol reported are for an aerosol produced from rosemary particles. In contrast, the ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridifenol will be significantly different in an aerosol produced from rosemary oil.

The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention during test method A may further comprise at least about 5 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of aerosol-generating substrate, or at least about 10 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate, or at least about 15 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol may comprise up to about 30 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate, or up to about 25 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate, or up to about 20 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate. For example, the aerosol may contain from about 5 milligrams to about 30 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate, or from about 10 milligrams to about 25 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate, or from about 15 milligrams to about 20 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate. In alternative embodiments, the aerosol may contain less than 5 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per gram of substrate. This may be appropriate, for example, if the aerosol forming agent is provided separately within the aerosol-generating article or aerosol-generating device.

Aerosol forming substances suitable for use in the present invention are presented below.

Various methods known in the art can be used to measure the amount of aerosol forming substance in an aerosol.

As described above, the presence of the characteristic compounds in the aerosol in certain quantities and ratios indicates the inclusion of rosemary particles in the homogenized rosemary material forming the aerosol-generating substrate.

Preferably, the rosemary particles contain at least about 0.5 milliliters of volatile oils per 100 grams, more preferably at least about 0.55 milliliters of volatile oils per 100 grams. The essential oil content of the rosemary particles can be determined using steam distillation as set out in ISO 6571:2008. This provides an indication of the essential oil content of the rosemary particles.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention comprises a homogenized rosemary material comprising at least about 2.5 percent by weight of rosemary particles on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the particulate plant material comprises at least about 3 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 4 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 5 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 6 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 7 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 8 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 9 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably at least about 10 percent by weight of rosemary particles on a dry weight basis.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the plant particles forming the homogenized rosemary material may include at least 98 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or at least 95 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or at least 90 percent by weight of rosemary particles, based on the dry weight of the plant particles. Therefore, in such embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises rosemary particles, with a substantial absence of other plant particles. For example, the plant particles forming the homogenized rosemary material may comprise 100 percent by weight of rosemary particles.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the homogenized rosemary material may comprise rosemary particles in combination with at least one of tobacco particles or hemp particles, as described below.

In the following description of the present invention, the term "particulate plant material" is used to generally designate particles of plant material that are used to produce homogenized plant material. The particulate plant material may consist essentially of rosemary particles, or it may be a mixture of rosemary particles with tobacco particles and/or hemp particles.

The homogenized plant material may contain up to about 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles on a dry weight basis. Preferably, the homogenized rosemary material contains up to about 24 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably up to about 80 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably up to about 23 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably up to about 22 percent by weight of rosemary particles, more preferably up to about 20 percent by weight of rosemary particles on a dry weight basis.

For example, homogenized plant material may contain from

about 2.5 percent to about 24 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or about 4 percent to about 24 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or about 5 percent to about 23 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or about 6 percent to about 22 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or about 8 percent to about 21 percent by weight of rosemary particles, or about 10 percent to about 20 percent by weight of rosemary particles on a dry weight basis.

As described above, the present inventors have identified a number of "characteristic compounds" which are compounds characteristic of the rosemary plant and thus indicative of the inclusion of rosemary plant particles in the aerosol generating substrate.

The amounts of the characteristic compounds present in the rosemary particles alone are expected to differ from the amounts present in the aerosol-generating substrate. The substrate manufacturing process, including hydration in a pulp or suspension and drying at elevated temperatures, as well as the presence of other ingredients such as an aerosol forming agent, will differentially modify the amounts of each of the characteristic compounds. The integrity of the rosemary particles and the stability of the compound under temperature and depending on the manipulations during manufacturing will also affect the final amount of the compound present in the substrate. Therefore, it is expected that the ratio of the characteristic compounds to each other will differ after incorporation of the rosemary particles into the substrate in different physical forms, such as sheets, threads and granules.

The presence of rosemary in the aerosol-generating substrate and the proportion of rosemary provided in the aerosol-generating substrate can be determined by measuring the amount of characteristic compounds in the substrate and comparing it with the corresponding amount of characteristic compounds in pure rosemary material. The presence and amount of characteristic compounds can be determined using any suitable techniques that would be known to those skilled in the art.

According to a suitable procedure, a 250 milligram sample of the aerosol-generating substrate is mixed with 5 milliliters of methanol and extracted by shaking, vigorous mixing for 5 minutes and centrifugation (4500 G, 5 minutes, 10 °C). Aliquots (300 microliters) of the extract are transferred to silanized chromatography vials and diluted with methanol (600 microliters) and internal standard solution (ISTD) (100 microliters). The vials are capped and the contents are mixed for 5 minutes using an Eppendorf Thermomixer (5 °C; 2000 rpm). Test samples from the resulting extract are analyzed by LC-HRAM-MS with a combination of full scan and data-dependent fragmentation modes to identify the characteristic compounds.

In some embodiments, the homogenized rosemary material further comprises up to about 75 percent by weight of tobacco particles on a dry weight basis.

For example, the homogenized rosemary material preferably contains from about 40 percent to about 75 percent by weight tobacco particles, more preferably from about 45 percent to about 70 percent by weight tobacco particles, more preferably from about 50 percent to about 65 percent by weight tobacco particles on a dry weight basis.

In some preferred embodiments, the homogenized ginger-based material comprises from about 5 percent to about 20 percent by weight of ginger particles and from about 55 percent to about 70 percent by weight of tobacco particles, on a dry weight basis.

The weight ratio of rosemary particles to tobacco particles in the particulate plant material forming the homogenized rosemary material may vary depending on the desired flavor characteristics and the composition of the aerosol. In one particularly preferred embodiment, the homogenized rosemary material has a weight ratio of rosemary particles to tobacco particles of no more than about 1:4. This means that the rosemary particles constitute no more than 20 percent of the total amount of particulate plant material. More preferably, the homogenized rosemary material has a weight ratio of rosemary particles to tobacco particles of no more than 1:5, more preferably no more than 1:6.

For example, in a first preferred embodiment, the ratio by weight of rosemary particles to tobacco particles is 1:4. A ratio of 1:4 corresponds to a particulate plant material consisting of about 20 percent by weight rosemary particles and about 80 percent by weight tobacco particles. For a homogenized rosemary material formed of about 75 percent by weight particulate plant material, this corresponds to about 15 percent by weight rosemary particles and about 60 percent by weight tobacco particles in the homogenized rosemary material, based on dry weight.

In another embodiment, the homogenized plant material has a weight ratio of 1:9 rosemary particles to tobacco particles. In another embodiment, the homogenized rosemary material has a weight ratio of 1:30 rosemary particles to tobacco particles.

As used herein, the term "tobacco particles" describes particles of any plant of the genus Nicotiana . The term "tobacco particles" includes ground or powdered tobacco leaf blades, ground or powdered tobacco leaf petioles, tobacco dust, tobacco fines, and other particulate tobacco by-products generated during the processing, handling, and shipping of tobacco. In a preferred embodiment, substantially all of the tobacco particles are derived from tobacco leaf blades. In contrast, pure nicotine and nicotine salts are compounds derived from tobacco but are not considered tobacco particles for the purposes of this invention and are not included in the percentage of particulate plant material.

The tobacco particles may be derived from one or more varieties of tobacco plants. Any variety of tobacco may be used in the blend. Examples of varieties of tobacco that may be used include, but are not limited to, sun-cured tobacco, flue-cured tobacco, Burley tobacco, Maryland tobacco, Oriental tobacco, Virginia tobacco, and other specialty tobacco varieties.

Flue-curing is a method of drying tobacco that is especially widely used with Virginia tobaccos. During the flue-curing process, heated air is circulated through tightly packed tobacco. During the first stage, the tobacco leaves turn yellow and wilt. During the second stage, the leaf blades dry out completely. During the third stage, the leaf petioles dry out completely.

Burley tobacco plays an important role in many tobacco blends. Burley tobacco has a recognizable taste and aroma, and it also has the ability to absorb large amounts of sauce.

Oriental tobacco has small leaves and pronounced aromatic qualities. However, Oriental tobacco has a milder taste/aroma than, for example, Burley tobacco. Therefore, in general, Oriental tobacco is used in relatively small proportions in tobacco blends.

Kasturi, Maduro and Yatim are the subspecies of sun-cured tobacco that may be used. Preferably, Kasturi tobacco and flue-cured tobacco may be used in a mixture to produce tobacco particles. Accordingly, the tobacco particles in the particulate plant material may comprise a mixture of Kasturi tobacco and flue-cured tobacco.

The tobacco particles may have a nicotine content of at least about 2.5 percent by weight on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the tobacco particles may have a nicotine content of at least about 3 percent, even more preferably at least about 3.2 percent, even more preferably at least about 3.5 percent, most preferably at least about 4 percent by weight on a dry weight basis. If the aerosol-generating substrate comprises tobacco particles in combination with rosemary particles, tobacco varieties having a higher nicotine content are preferred to maintain similar nicotine levels compared to conventional aerosol-generating substrates without rosemary particles, since the overall amount of nicotine would otherwise be reduced due to the substitution of the tobacco particles by the rosemary particles.

As a result of the inclusion of tobacco particles, the aerosol-generating substrate and the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate in such embodiments comprise certain proportions of "characteristic compounds" of tobacco. Characteristic compounds generated from tobacco include, but are not limited to, anatabine, cotinine, and damascenone. In particular, the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises at least about 60 micrograms of cotinine per gram of substrate and at least about 10 micrograms of damascenone per gram of substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-generating substrate preferably comprises up to about 150 micrograms of cotinine per gram of substrate and up to about 25 micrograms of damascenone per gram of substrate.

The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate by heating the aerosol-generating substrate according to test method A preferably comprises at least about 15 micrograms of anatabine per gram of substrate, at least about 8 micrograms of cotinine per gram of substrate, and at least about 3 micrograms of damascenone per gram of substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol preferably comprises up to about 35 micrograms of anatabine per gram of substrate, up to about 18 micrograms of cotinine per gram of substrate, and up to about 8 micrograms of damascenone per gram of substrate.

Nicotine may optionally be included in the aerosol-generating substrate, although it is not considered a tobacco material for the purposes of the present invention. Nicotine may comprise one or more nicotine salts selected from the list consisting of nicotine lactate, nicotine citrate, nicotine pyruvate, nicotine bitartrate, nicotine benzoate, nicotine pectate, nicotine alginate and nicotine salicylate. Nicotine may be included in addition to low-nicotine tobacco, or nicotine may be included in an aerosol-generating substrate that has a reduced or zero tobacco content.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises homogenized rosemary material obtained from particulate plant material consisting only of rosemary particles, together with nicotine, such as a nicotine salt, included in the aerosol-generating substrate.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises at least about 0.1 mg nicotine per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises at least about 0.5 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 1 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 1.5 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 2 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 3 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 4 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably at least about 5 mg nicotine per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 50 mg nicotine per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. More preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 45 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 40 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 35 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 30 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 25 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, more preferably up to about 20 mg nicotine per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

For example, the aerosol-generating substrate may comprise from about 0.1 mg to about 50 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 0.5 mg to about 45 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 1 mg to about 40 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 2 mg to about 35 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 5 mg to about 30 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 10 mg to about 25 mg nicotine per gram of substrate, or from about 15 mg to about 20 mg nicotine per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. In certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises from about 1 mg to about 20 mg nicotine per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

The specified ranges of nicotine content for the aerosol-generating substrate include all forms of nicotine that may be present in the aerosol-generating substrate, including nicotine originally present in the tobacco material, as well as nicotine that is optionally separately added to the aerosol-generating substrate, such as in the form of a nicotine salt.

Alternatively or in addition to including tobacco particles in the homogenized plant material of the aerosol generating substrate of the present invention, the homogenized plant material may contain up to 75 percent by weight of hemp particles on a dry weight basis. The term "hemp particles" refers to particles of the hemp plant, such as the species Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis .

For example, the particulate plant material may comprise from about 40 percent to about 75 percent by weight hemp particles, more preferably from about 45 percent to about 60 percent by weight tobacco particles, more preferably from about 50 percent to about 65 percent by weight tobacco particles on a dry weight basis.

If desired, one or more cannabinoid compounds may be included in the aerosol-generating substrate, although they are considered to be non-hemp material for the purposes of the present invention. As used herein, the term "cannabinoid compound" as used herein describes any of a class of naturally occurring compounds that are found in parts of the hemp plant, namely the species Cannabis sativa , Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis . Cannabinoid compounds are particularly concentrated in the female flower heads and are commonly sold as hemp oil. Cannabinoid compounds naturally occurring in the hemp plant include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). As used herein, the term "cannabinoid compounds" is used to describe both naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds and synthetically produced cannabinoid compounds.

For example, the aerosol generating substrate may comprise a cannabinoid compound selected from the group consisting of: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerol monomethyl ether (CBGM), cannabivarin (CBV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT), and combinations thereof.

The homogenized rosemary material may further comprise a proportion of other plant flavor particles, in addition to the rosemary particles, or a combination of rosemary particles with at least one of tobacco particles and hemp particles (“particulate plant material”).

For the purposes of the present invention, the term "other plant flavor particles" refers to particles of plant material other than rosemary, tobacco and hemp that are capable of generating one or more flavor substances when heated. This term should be considered as excluding particles of neutral plant material, such as cellulose, which do not contribute to the sensory effect created by the aerosol-generating substrate. The particles can be obtained from crushed or powdered leaf blades, fruits, petioles, stems, roots, seeds, buds or bark from other plants. Suitable plant flavor particles for inclusion in the aerosol-generating substrate of the present invention are known to those skilled in the art and include, without limitation, clove particles and tea particles.

The composition of the homogenized plant material can advantageously be adjusted by mixing the required quantities and types of particles of different plants. This allows the aerosol-generating substrate to be obtained from a single homogenized plant material, if desired, without the need to combine or mix different mixtures, as is the case, for example, in the case of the production of conventional cut filler. Consequently, it is potentially possible to simplify the production of the aerosol-generating substrate.

The particulate plant material used in the aerosol-generating substrates of the present invention can be adapted to provide a desired particle size distribution. Particle size distributions are referred to herein as D values, where the D value refers to the percentage of particles whose diameter is less than or equal to a given D value. For example, a D95 particle size distribution means that 95 percent of the particles have a diameter less than or equal to a given D95 value, and 5 percent of the particles have a diameter greater than a given D95 value. Similarly, a D5 particle size distribution means that 5 percent of the particles have a diameter less than or equal to a D5 value, and 95 percent of the particles have a diameter greater than a given D5 value. Thus, the D5 and D95 values combined characterize the particle size distribution of the particulate plant material.

The particulate plant material may have a range from a D95 value that is greater than or equal to 50 microns to a D95 value that is less than or equal to 400 microns. This means that the particulate plant material may have a distribution represented by any D95 value within this range, i.e., the D95 may be equal to 50 microns, or the D95 may be equal to 55 microns, and so on , up to the point that the D95 may be equal to 400 microns. By providing a D95 value within this range, the inclusion of relatively large plant particles in the homogenized plant material is prevented. This is desirable since the generation of an aerosol from such large plant particles is likely to be relatively ineffective. In addition, the inclusion of large plant particles in the homogenized plant material may negatively affect the consistency of the material.

Preferably, the particulate plant material may have a D95 value from a D95 value greater than or equal to about 50 microns to a D95 value less than or equal to about 350 microns, more preferably a D95 value from a D95 value greater than or equal to about 100 microns to a D95 value less than or equal to about 300 microns. Both of the rosemary particulate material and the tobacco particulate material may have D95 values from D95 values greater than or equal to about 50 microns to D95 values less than or equal to about 400 microns, preferably D95 values from D95 values greater than or equal to about 100 microns to D95 values less than or equal to about 350 microns, more preferably D95 values from D95 values greater than or equal to about 200 microns to D95 values less than or equal to about 300 microns.

Preferably, the particulate plant material may have a D5 value from a D5 value greater than or equal to about 10 microns to a D5 value less than or equal to about 50 microns, more preferably a D5 value from a D5 value greater than or equal to about 20 microns to a D5 value less than or equal to about 40 microns. By providing a D5 value in this range, the inclusion of very fine dust particles in the homogenized rosemary material is prevented, which may be desirable from a production point of view.

In some embodiments, the particulate plant material may be specially ground to produce particles having a desired particle size distribution. The use of specially ground plant material provides the advantage of improving the uniformity of the particulate plant material and the consistency of the homogenized rosemary material.

The diameter of 100 percent of the particulate plant material may be less than or equal to about 300 microns, more preferably it may be less than or equal to about 250 microns. The diameter of 100 percent of the particulate rosemary material and 100 percent of the particulate tobacco material may be less than or equal to about 300 microns, more preferably it may be less than or equal to about 250 microns. The specified range of sizes of rosemary particles allows for the possibility of combining rosemary particles with tobacco particles in existing sheet casting processes.

The homogenized rosemary material preferably comprises at least about 55 percent by weight of particulate plant material comprising rosemary particles as described above, more preferably at least about 60 percent by weight of particulate plant material, and more preferably at least about 65 percent by weight of particulate plant material on a dry weight basis. The homogenized rosemary material preferably comprises no more than about 95 percent by weight of particulate plant material, more preferably no more than about 90 percent by weight of particulate plant material, and more preferably no more than about 85 percent by weight of particulate plant material on a dry weight basis. For example, the homogenized rosemary material may contain from about 55 percent to about 95 percent by weight particulate plant material, or from about 60 percent to about 90 percent by weight particulate plant material, or from about 65 percent to about 85 percent by weight particulate plant material on a dry weight basis. In one particularly preferred embodiment, the homogenized rosemary material contains about 75 percent by weight particulate plant material on a dry weight basis.

Thus, the particulate plant material is typically combined with one or more other components to produce homogenized rosemary material.

The homogenized rosemary material may further comprise a binder for changing the mechanical properties of the particulate plant material, said binder being incorporated into the homogenized rosemary material during manufacture as described herein. Suitable exogenous binders will be known to those skilled in the art and include, but are not limited to: gums, such as, for example, guar gum, xanthan gum, acacia and locust bean gum; cellulose binders, such as, for example, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose; polysaccharides, such as, for example, starches; organic acids, such as alginic acid; salts of conjugate bases of organic acids, such as sodium alginate, agar and pectins; and combinations thereof. Preferably, the binder comprises guar gum.

As indicated above, the binder is present in an amount of from about 1 percent to about 10 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the homogenized rosemary material, preferably in an amount of from about 2 percent to about 5 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the homogenized rosemary material.

In addition, the homogenized rosemary material may optionally further comprise one or more lipids to assist in the diffusion of volatile components (e.g., aerosol forming agents, (E)-anethole, and nicotine), wherein the lipid is included in the homogenized rosemary material during manufacture as described herein. Suitable lipids for inclusion in the homogenized rosemary material include, but are not limited to: medium chain triglycerides, cocoa butter, palm oil, palm kernel oil, mango butter, shea butter, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, coconut oil, hydrogenated coconut oil, candelilla wax, carnauba wax, shellac, sunflower wax, sunflower oil, rice bran wax, and Revel A; and combinations thereof.

Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized rosemary material may further contain a pH modifier.

Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized rosemary material may further comprise fibers to alter the mechanical properties of the homogenized rosemary material, said fibers being incorporated into the homogenized rosemary material during manufacture as described herein. Suitable exogenous fibers for inclusion in the homogenized rosemary material are known in the art and include fibers derived from non-tobacco material and non-rosemary material, including, but not limited to: cellulose fibers; softwood fibers; hardwood fibers; jute fibers and combinations thereof. Exogenous fibers derived from tobacco and/or rosemary may also be added. Any fibers added to the homogenized rosemary material are not considered to form part of the "particulate plant material" defined above. Prior to incorporation into the homogenized rosemary material, the fibers may be processed by suitable processes known in the art, including, but not limited to: mechanical pulping; cleaning; chemical pulping; bleaching; sulphate pulping; and combinations thereof. The fibre is usually longer than it is wide.

Suitable fibers typically have lengths greater than 400 micrometers and less than or equal to 4 mm, preferably in the range of 0.7 mm to 4 mm. Preferably, the fibers are present in an amount of at least about 2 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the substrate. The amount of fibers in the homogenized rosemary material may depend on the type of material and especially on the method used to produce the homogenized rosemary material. In some embodiments, the fibers may be present in an amount of from about 2 percent by weight to about 15 percent by weight, most preferably at a level of about 4 percent by weight based on the dry weight of the substrate. For example, this level of fiber content may be present when the homogenized rosemary material is present in the form of a cast sheet. In other embodiments, the fibers may be present in an amount of at least about 30 percent by weight or at least about 40 percent by weight. For example, this higher fibre content would be highly likely to be achieved if the homogenised rosemary material was a plant-based paper produced in a papermaking process.

As defined above, the homogenized rosemary material further comprises one or more aerosol forming agents. When evaporated, the aerosol forming agent may carry into the aerosol other vaporized compounds released from the aerosol-generating substrate upon heating, such as nicotine and flavoring agents. The release of a particular compound from the aerosol-generating substrate as an aerosol is not solely determined by its boiling point. The amount of compound that is released as an aerosol may be affected by the physical form of the substrate, as well as other components that are also present in the substrate. The stability of the compound under the influence of temperature and the time frame of aerosol formation will also affect the amount of compound that is present in the aerosol.

Suitable aerosol formers for inclusion in the homogenized rosemary material are known in the art and include, but are not limited to: polyhydric alcohols such as triethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,3-butanediol and glycerol; esters of polyhydric alcohols such as glycerol mono-, di- or triacetate; and aliphatic esters of mono-, di- or polycarboxylic acids such as dimethyl dodecanedioate and dimethyl tetradecanedioate. The homogenized rosemary material may comprise a single aerosol former or a combination of two or more aerosol formers.

The homogenized rosemary material has an aerosol forming agent content of from about 5 percent to about 30 percent by weight on a dry weight basis, such as from about 10 percent to about 25 percent by weight on a dry weight basis, or from about 15 percent to about 20 percent by weight on a dry weight basis.

For example, if the substrate is intended for use in an aerosol-generating article for an electric aerosol-generating system having a heating element, then it may preferably have an aerosol-forming substance content of from about 5 percent to about 30 percent by weight on a dry weight basis. If the substrate is intended for use in an aerosol-generating article for an electric aerosol-generating system having a heating element, then the aerosol-forming substance is preferably glycerin.

In other embodiments, the homogenized rosemary material may have an aerosol forming agent content of from about 1 percent to about 5 percent by weight on a dry weight basis. For example, if the substrate is intended for use in an aerosol-generating article in which the aerosol forming agent is retained in a reservoir separate from the substrate, the substrate may have an aerosol forming agent content of greater than 1 percent and less than about 5 percent. In such embodiments, the aerosol forming agent is vaporized upon heating, and a stream of the aerosol forming agent is contacted with the aerosol-generating substrate to capture flavors from the aerosol-generating substrate into the aerosol.

The aerosol forming agent can act as a humectant in the aerosol generating substrate.

Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized rosemary material may further comprise an acid. The acid may comprise a carboxylic acid. The carboxylic acid may comprise a ketone group. Preferably, the carboxylic acid may comprise a ketone group having less than about 10 carbon atoms, or less than about 6 carbon atoms, or less than about 4 carbon atoms, such as levulinic acid or lactic acid. Inclusion of an acid may be particularly useful if the aerosol-generating substrate is present as a gel, as described below.

The homogenized plant material of the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention may comprise homogenized plant material of one type or homogenized plant material of two or more types having compositions or forms different from each other. For example, in one embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises rosemary particles and tobacco particles or hemp particles enclosed within the same sheet of homogenized plant material. However, in other embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate may comprise tobacco particles or hemp particles and rosemary particles within sheets different from each other.

The homogenized rosemary material is preferably present as a solid or gel. However, in some embodiments, the homogenized material may be present as a solid that is not a gel. Preferably, the homogenized rosemary material is not present as a film.

The homogenized rosemary material may be provided in any suitable form. For example, the homogenized rosemary material may be present in the form of one or more sheets. As used herein with reference to the present invention, the term "sheet" describes a layered element whose width and length are substantially greater than its thickness.

Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized rosemary material may be present in the form of a plurality of pellets or granules.

Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized rosemary material may be present in a form that is capable of filling a cartridge or a consumable part of a hookah, or that can be used in a hookah device. The present invention includes a cartridge or a hookah device that contains the homogenized rosemary material.

Alternatively or additionally, the homogenized rosemary material may be present in the form of a plurality of strands, strips or pieces. As used herein, the term "strand" describes an elongated element of material whose length substantially exceeds its width and thickness. The term "strand" should be considered to include strips, pieces and any other homogenized rosemary material having a similar shape. The strands of homogenized rosemary material may be obtained from a sheet of homogenized rosemary material, such as by cutting or shredding, or by other means, such as an extrusion method.

In some embodiments, the threads may be produced directly in situ within the aerosol-generating substrate by dividing or splitting a sheet of homogenized rosemary material during the production of the aerosol-generating substrate, such as by pleating. The threads of homogenized rosemary material in the aerosol-generating substrate may be separated from each other. Alternatively, each thread of homogenized rosemary material within the aerosol-generating substrate may be at least partially connected to an adjacent thread or threads along the length of the threads. For example, adjacent threads may be connected by one or more fibers. This may be the case, for example, if the threads were produced by dividing a sheet of homogenized plant material during the production of the aerosol-generating substrate, as described above.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate is provided in the form of one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material. In various embodiments of the present invention, said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material can be made by a casting process. In various embodiments of the present invention, said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material can be made by a papermaking process. Each of said one or more sheets described herein can individually have a thickness of from 100 micrometers to 600 micrometers, preferably from 150 micrometers to 300 micrometers, and most preferably from 200 micrometers to 250 micrometers. The thickness considered individually refers to the thickness of an individual sheet, while the cumulative thickness refers to the total thickness of all sheets that form the aerosol-generating substrate. For example, if the aerosol generating substrate is formed from two separate sheets, then the combined thickness is the sum of the thicknesses of the two separate sheets or the measured thickness of the two sheets when the two sheets are stacked on top of each other in the aerosol generating substrate.

Each of the one or more sheets described herein may individually have a grammage of from about 100 g/ ^m2 to about 300 g/ ^m2 .

Each of the one or more sheets described herein may individually have a density of from about 0.3 g/ ^cm3 to about 1.3 g/ ^cm3 , preferably from about 0.7 g/ ^cm3 to about 1.0 g/ ^cm3 . The term "tensile strength" is used throughout this specification to denote the amount of force required to stretch a sheet of homogenized rosemary material until it breaks. More specifically, tensile strength is the maximum tensile force per unit width that a sheet material will withstand before breaking, and is measured in the machine direction or cross direction of the sheet material. It is expressed in newtons per meter of material (N/m). Tests for measuring the tensile strength of sheet material are well known. A suitable test is described in the 2014 publication of International Standard ISO 1924-2 entitled "Paper and board - Determination of tensile properties - Part 2: Constant speed stretching method".

The materials and equipment required to perform the test in accordance with ISO 1924-2 are: universal tensile/compression testing machine, Instron 5566 or equivalent; 100 Newton tensile load cell, Instron or equivalent; two pneumatically operated grips; a steel measuring block 180 ± 0.25 millimetres long (width: approximately 10 millimetres, thickness: approximately 3 millimetres); a strip cutter with two cutting edges, size 15 ± 0.05 x approximately 250 millimetres, Adamel Lhomargy or equivalent; a scalpel; computer-based data acquisition software, Merlin or equivalent; and compressed air.

The sample is prepared as follows: first, a sheet of homogenized rosemary material is kept for at least 24 hours at a temperature of 22 ± 2 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 60 ± 5% before testing. Then, the sample is cut in the machine direction or cross direction to a size of approximately 250 x 15 ± 0.1 millimeters by means of a cutter with two cutting edges to obtain strips. The edges of the test samples must be cleanly cut, therefore, no more than three test samples are cut at a time.

The tensile/compression testing apparatus is set by setting the tensile load cell to 100 Newtons, turning on the universal tensile/compression testing machine and the computer, and selecting the measurement method defined in the software, with the test speed set to 8 millimeters per minute. Then, the tensile load cell is calibrated and the pneumatic grips are installed. The test distance between the pneumatic grips is adjusted to 180 ± 0.5 millimeters by means of a steel calibration block, and the distance and force are set to zero.

The test specimen is then positioned squarely and centrally between the jaws, avoiding contact of the fingers with the area to be tested. The upper jaw is closed, and the paper strip is suspended in the open lower jaw. The force is set to zero. The paper strip is then pulled downwards slightly and the lower jaw is closed; the initial force should be between 0.05 and 0.20 Newton. During the upward movement of the upper jaw, a gradually increasing force is applied until the test specimen is torn. The same procedure is repeated with the remaining test specimens. The result is valid if the test specimen ruptures when the jaws are separated by a distance greater than 10 millimetres. If this is not the case, the result is discarded and an additional measurement is performed.

If the available test sample of homogenised rosemary material is smaller than the sample described in the ISO 1924-2 test described above, the test scale can be easily reduced to accommodate the available test sample size.

Each of the one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material described herein may individually have a tensile strength at a peak value in the transverse direction of from 50 N/m to 400 N/m, or preferably from 150 N/m to 350 N/m. Given that the sheet thickness affects the tensile strength, if there are variations in thickness in a batch of sheets, it may be desirable to standardize the value to a specific sheet thickness.

Each of the one or more sheets described herein may individually have a peak tensile strength in the machine direction of 100 N/m to 800 N/m, or preferably 280 N/m to 620 N/m, normalized to a sheet thickness of 215 µm. Machine direction is the direction in which the sheet material is wound onto or unwound from a reel and fed into the machine, with the transverse direction being perpendicular to the machine direction. Such tensile strength values make the sheets and methods described herein particularly suitable for subsequent operations involving mechanical loads.

By providing a sheet having the thickness, grammage and tensile strength levels defined above, the advantage of optimizing the sheet's processability for producing an aerosol-generating substrate and of ensuring the prevention of damage such as sheet tearing during high-speed sheet processing is achieved.

In embodiments of the present invention in which the aerosol-generating substrate comprises one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material, these sheets are preferably present in the form of one or more gathered sheets. The term "gathered" as used herein is used to describe a sheet of homogenized rosemary material that is rolled, folded, or otherwise compressed or narrowed in a direction substantially transverse to the cylindrical axis of the plug or rod. The step of "gathering" the sheet may be accomplished by any suitable means that provides the necessary transverse compression of the sheet.

As used herein, the term "longitudinal" refers to the direction corresponding to the major longitudinal axis of the aerosol-generating article, which extends between the upstream and downstream ends of the aerosol-generating article. During use, air is drawn through the aerosol-generating article in the longitudinal direction. The term "transverse" refers to the direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. As used herein, the term "length" refers to the dimension of the component in the longitudinal direction, and the term "width" refers to the dimension of the component in the transverse direction. For example, in the case of a plug or rod having a circular cross-section, the maximum width corresponds to the diameter of the circle.

The term "plug" as used herein denotes a generally cylindrical element with a substantially polygonal, circular, oval or elliptical cross-section. The term "rod" as used herein refers to a generally cylindrical element with a substantially polygonal cross-section, preferably with a circular, oval or elliptical cross-section. The rod may have a length that is greater than or equal to the length of the plug. Typically, the rod has a length that is greater than the length of the plug. The rod may comprise one or more plugs, preferably aligned in the longitudinal direction.

As used herein, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" describe the relative positions of elements or portions of elements of an aerosol-generating article relative to the direction in which the aerosol is transported through the aerosol-generating article during use. The downstream end of the air flow path is the end through which the aerosol is delivered to the user of the article.

Said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material may be assembled transversely relative to their longitudinal axis and surrounded by a wrapper to form a continuous rod or plug. The continuous rod may be divided into a plurality of individual rods or plugs. The wrapper may be a paper wrapper or a non-paper wrapper, as described in more detail below.

Alternatively, said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material may be cut into threads, as mentioned above. In such embodiments, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises a plurality of threads of homogenized rosemary material. The threads may be used to form a plug. Typically, the width of such threads is at least about 0.2 mm or at least about 0.5 mm. Preferably, the width of such threads is no more than about 5 mm, or about 4 mm, or about 3 mm, or about 1.5 mm. For example, the width of the threads may be from about 0.25 mm to about 5 mm, or from about 0.25 mm to about 3 mm, or from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm.

The length of the threads is preferably greater than about 5 mm, such as from about 5 mm to about 15 mm, from about 8 mm to about 12 mm, or about 12 mm. Preferably, the threads have substantially the same length as each other. The length of the threads can be determined by a manufacturing process in which the rod is cut into shorter plugs, and the length of the threads corresponds to the length of the plug. The threads can be brittle, which can lead to breakage, especially during handling. In such cases, the length of some threads can be shorter than the length of the plug.

Said plurality of threads preferably extend substantially in the longitudinal direction along the length of the aerosol-generating substrate aligned with the longitudinal axis. Accordingly, said plurality of threads are preferably aligned substantially parallel to each other. Said plurality of longitudinal threads of the aerosol-generating material are preferably substantially uncrimped.

Each strand of homogenized rosemary material preferably has a mass to surface area ratio of at least about 0.02 milligrams per square millimeter, more preferably at least about 0.05 milligrams per square millimeter. Preferably, each strand of homogenized rosemary material has a mass to surface area ratio of no more than about 0.2 milligrams per square millimeter, more preferably no more than about 0.15 milligrams per square millimeter. The mass to surface area ratio is calculated by dividing the mass of the strand of homogenized rosemary material in milligrams by the geometric surface area of the strand of homogenized rosemary material in square millimeters.

Said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material may be textured by corrugating, embossing or perforating. Said one or more sheets may be textured before gathering or before cutting into threads. Preferably, said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material are corrugated before gathering, so that the homogenized rosemary material may be present in the form of a corrugated sheet, more preferably in the form of a gathered corrugated sheet. The term "corrugated sheet" as used herein means a sheet having a plurality of substantially parallel folds or flutes, generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the article.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrate may be present in the form of a single plug of aerosol-generating substrate. Preferably, the plug of aerosol-generating substrate may comprise a plurality of strands of homogenized plant material. Most preferably, the plug of aerosol-generating substrate may comprise one or more sheets of homogenized plant material. Preferably, said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material may be corrugated so as to have a plurality of folds or corrugations substantially parallel to the cylindrical axis of the plug. This treatment provides the advantage of facilitating the collection of the corrugated sheet of homogenized rosemary material to form the plug. Preferably, said one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material may be collected. It should be understood that the corrugated sheets of homogenized rosemary material may alternatively or additionally have a plurality of substantially parallel folds or corrugations arranged at an acute or obtuse angle to the cylindrical axis of the plug. The sheet may be corrugated to such an extent that the integrity of the sheet is disrupted at the locations of said plurality of parallel folds or corrugations, which leads to separation of the material and the result of which is the formation of pieces, threads or strips of homogenized plant material.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating substrate comprises a first rod comprising a first homogenized plant material and a second rod comprising a second homogenized plant material, wherein the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material have different levels of star anise particles and tobacco particles. At least one of the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material is homogenized rosemary material. For example, the first homogenized plant material may comprise from about 1 percent to about 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles on a dry weight basis, and the second homogenized plant material may comprise from about 50 percent to about 75 percent by weight of tobacco particles on a dry weight basis. In general, according to the present invention, the homogenized plant materials within the aerosol generating substrate contain at least 2.5 percent by weight rosemary particles and up to 70 percent by weight tobacco particles, based on dry weight.

In such embodiments, the first homogenized plant material preferably comprises a first particulate plant material in which the proportion of rosemary particles is greater than in the second homogenized plant material. The second homogenized plant material may be a homogenized tobacco material substantially free of rosemary particles.

Preferably, the first homogenized plant material may be present in the form of one or more sheets, and the second homogenized plant material may also be present in the form of one or more sheets. If necessary, the aerosol-generating substrate may comprise one or more plugs. Preferably, the substrate may comprise a first plug and a second plug, wherein the first homogenized plant material may be located in the first plug, and the second homogenized plant material may be located in the second plug.

Two or more plugs may be combined so that they are end-to-end and extend to form a rod. Two plugs may be arranged longitudinally with a gap between them, thus forming a cavity within the rod. The plugs may be arranged in any suitable arrangement within the rod.

For example, in a preferred arrangement, a downstream plug containing a major proportion of rosemary particles may be adjacent to an upstream plug containing a major proportion of tobacco particles to form a rod. An alternative configuration is also provided in which the upstream and downstream locations of the respective plugs are changed relative to each other. Alternative configurations are also provided in which the third homogenized plant material contains a different proportion of rosemary particles and tobacco particles and forms a third plug. If two or more plugs are provided, the homogenized plant material may be provided in the same form in each plug or in a different form in each plug, i.e., in an assembled or shredded form. The one or more plugs may optionally be wrapped individually or together in a heat-conducting sheet material, as described below.

The first plug may comprise one or more sheets of the first homogenized plant material, and the second plug may comprise one or more sheets of the second homogenized plant material. The sum of the lengths of the plugs may be from about 10 mm to about 40 mm, preferably from about 10 mm to about 15 mm, more preferably about 12 mm. The first plug and the second plug may have the same length or may have different lengths. If the first plug and the second plug have the same lengths, the length of each plug may preferably be from about 6 mm to about 20 mm. Preferably, the second plug may be longer than the first plug in order to ensure the desired ratio of tobacco particles to rosemary particles in the substrate. In general, the substrate preferably contains from 0 to 75 percent by weight of tobacco particles and from 25 to 1 percent by weight of rosemary particles, based on dry weight. Preferably, the second plug is longer than the first plug by an amount of at least 40 percent to 50 percent.

If the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material are present in the form of one or more sheets, then preferably said one or more sheets of the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material may be assembled sheets. Preferably, said one or more sheets of the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material may be corrugated sheets. It should be understood that all other physical properties described with reference to the embodiment in which one homogenized plant material is present are equally applicable to the embodiment in which the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material are present. Furthermore, it should be understood that a description of additives (such as binders, lipids, fibers, aerosol formers, humectants, plasticizers, flavoring agents, fillers, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents, and combinations thereof) with reference to an embodiment in which one homogenized plant material is present applies equally to an embodiment in which a first homogenized plant material and a second homogenized plant material are present.

In another embodiment of the aerosol generating substrate, the first homogenized plant material is present as a first sheet, the second homogenized plant material is present as a second sheet, and the second sheet at least partially lies on top of the first sheet.

The first sheet may be a textured sheet and the second sheet may not be textured.

Both of the first and second sheets can be textured sheets.

The first sheet may be a textured sheet that is textured differently from the second sheet. For example, the first sheet may be corrugated and the second sheet may be perforated. Alternatively, the first sheet may be perforated and the second sheet may be corrugated. Both of the first and second sheets may be corrugated sheets that are morphologically different from each other. For example, the second sheet may be corrugated with a different number of corrugations per unit width of the sheet compared to the first sheet.

Sheets may be assembled to form a plug. Sheets that are assembled together to form a plug may have different physical dimensions. The width and thickness of the sheets may vary.

It may be desirable to assemble together two sheets, each of which has a different thickness from the other, or each of which has a different width from the other. This allows for the possibility of changing the physical properties of the plug. This allows for the possibility of promoting the formation of a mixed plug of an aerosol-generating substrate from sheets of different chemical composition. The first sheet may have a first thickness, and the second sheet may have a second thickness that is a multiple of the first thickness, for example, the second sheet may have a thickness that is two or three times the first thickness.

The first sheet may have a first width, and the second sheet may have a second width that is different from the first width.

The first sheet and the second sheet may be arranged to overlap before being assembled together or at the time they are assembled together. The sheets may be the same width and thickness. The sheets may have different thicknesses. The sheets may have different widths. The sheets may be textured differently.

If it is desired that both the first sheet and the second sheet be textured, these sheets may be textured simultaneously before collection. For example, the sheets may be arranged in an overlapping manner and passed through texturing means, such as a pair of corrugating rollers. A device and method suitable for simultaneous corrugation are described with reference to Fig. 2 in WO-A-2013/178766. In a preferred embodiment, the second sheet of the second homogenized plant material lies on top of the first sheet of the first homogenized plant material, and the combined sheets are collected to form a plug of the aerosol-generating substrate. If necessary, the sheets may be corrugated together before collection to facilitate collection.

Alternatively, each sheet can be textured individually and then brought together to form a plug. For example, if the two sheets are of different thicknesses, it may be desirable to corrugate the first sheet differently from the second sheet.

It should be understood that all other physical properties described with reference to the embodiment in which one homogenized rosemary material is present apply equally to the embodiment in which the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material are present. It should also be understood that the description of additives (such as binders, lipids, fibers, aerosol formers, humectants, plasticizers, flavors, fillers, aqueous and non-aqueous solvents, and combinations thereof) with reference to the embodiment in which one homogenized rosemary material is present applies equally to the embodiment in which the first homogenized plant material and the second homogenized plant material are present.

The homogenized rosemary material used in the aerosol-generating substrates of the present invention can be produced by a variety of methods, including papermaking, casting, dough reduction, extrusion, or any other suitable process.

Preferably, the homogenized rosemary material is present in the form of a "cast sheet". The term "cast sheet" is used herein to refer to a sheet product made by a casting process based on casting a slurry containing plant particles (e.g. rosemary particles or tobacco particles and rosemary particles in a mixture) and a binder (e.g. guar gum) onto a support surface such as a conveyor belt, drying the slurry and removing the dried sheet from the support surface. An example of a sheet casting process is described, for example, in US-A-5724998 with respect to the manufacture of cast sheet tobacco. In the sheet casting process, particulate plant materials are mixed with a liquid component, typically water, to form a slurry. Other components added to the slurry may include fibres, a binder and an aerosol former. The particulate plant materials may be agglomerated in the presence of a binder. The suspension is cast onto a support surface and dried to form a sheet of homogenized rosemary material.

In some preferred embodiments, the homogenized rosemary material used in the articles of the present invention is produced by casting. The homogenized rosemary material produced by the casting process typically comprises agglomerated particulate plant material.

In the sheet casting process, since essentially all of the soluble fraction is retained within the plant material, the advantage of preserving the bulk of the flavoring substances is achieved. In addition, energy-intensive steps in the papermaking process are eliminated.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mixture comprising particulate plant material, water, a binder and an aerosol former is prepared to produce a homogenized rosemary material. Both the particulate plant material and the aerosol former are as described above with reference to the first aspect of the present invention. Said mixture is formed into a sheet, which is then dried. Preferably, said mixture is an aqueous mixture. As used herein, the term "dry weight" refers to the weight of a particular non-aqueous component relative to the sum of the weights of all non-aqueous components in the mixture, expressed as a percentage. The composition of aqueous mixtures may be considered as a "dry weight percent." This refers to the weight of the non-aqueous components relative to the weight of the entire aqueous mixture, expressed as a percentage.

The mixture may be a suspension. As used herein, the term "suspension" means a homogenized aqueous mixture with a relatively low dry weight. The suspension used in carrying out the method according to the present document may preferably have a dry weight of from about 5 percent to 60 percent.

Alternatively, the mixture may be a dough-like mass. As used herein, the term "dough-like mass" denotes an aqueous mixture with a relatively high dry weight. The dough-like mass used in carrying out the method according to the present document may preferably have a dry weight of at least 60 percent, more preferably at least 70 percent.

Suspensions having a dry weight greater than 30 percent and pasty masses may be preferred in some embodiments of the method.

The step of mixing the particulate plant material, water and other optional components may be performed by any suitable means. In the case of low viscosity mixtures, i.e. some suspensions, it is preferable that the mixing be performed using a high energy mixer or a high shear mixer. This mixing results in the breakdown and homogeneous distribution of the various phases of the mixture. In the case of higher viscosity mixtures, i.e. some pasty masses, a kneading process may be used to homogeneously distribute the various phases of the mixture.

The methods according to the present invention may further comprise a step of vibrating the mixture to distribute the various components. Vibrating the mixture, i.e., for example, vibrating a container or bin in which the mixture to be homogenized is located, makes it possible to promote the homogenization of the mixture, especially if the mixture is a low-viscosity mixture, i.e., in the case of certain suspensions. It is possible that a shorter mixing time is required to homogenize the mixture to the target value optimal for casting, if vibration is also performed in addition to mixing.

If the mixture is a suspension, the web of homogenized rosemary material is preferably formed by a casting process comprising casting the suspension onto a support surface, such as a conveyor belt. The method for producing homogenized rosemary material includes the step of drying said cast web to form a sheet. The cast web may be dried at room temperature or at an ambient temperature of at least about 60 degrees Celsius, more preferably at least about 80 degrees Celsius, for a suitable period of time. Preferably, the cast web is dried at an ambient temperature of no more than 200 degrees Celsius, more preferably no more than about 160 degrees Celsius. For example, drying of the cast web is possible at a temperature of from about 60 degrees Celsius to about 200 degrees Celsius, or from about 80 degrees Celsius to about 160 degrees Celsius. Preferably, the moisture content of the sheet after drying is from about 5 percent to about 15 percent based on the total weight of the sheet. After drying, the sheet can be removed from the supporting surface. The cast sheet has such a tensile strength that it can be mechanically manipulated and wound on or unwound from a reel without breaking or deforming.

If the mixture is a dough-like mass, then it is possible to extrude this dough-like mass in the form of a sheet, threads or strips before the step of drying the extruded mixture. Preferably, it is possible to extrude the dough-like mass to form a sheet. It is possible to dry the extruded mixture at room temperature or at a temperature of at least about 60 degrees Celsius, more preferably at least about 80 degrees Celsius for a suitable period of time. Preferably, the cast web is dried at an ambient temperature of no more than 200 degrees Celsius, more preferably no more than about 160 degrees Celsius. For example, it is possible to dry the cast web at a temperature of from about 60 degrees Celsius to about 200 degrees Celsius or from about 80 degrees Celsius to about 160 degrees. Preferably, the moisture content of the extruded mixture after drying is from about 5 percent to about 15 percent, based on the total weight of the sheet. A sheet formed from a dough-like mass requires a shorter drying time and/or lower drying temperatures due to a substantially lower water content compared to a web formed from a suspension. After drying the sheet, the method may optionally include the step of applying a nicotine salt, preferably together with an aerosol forming substance, to the sheet, as described in the disclosure of WO-A-2015/082652.

After drying the sheet, the methods according to the present invention may optionally include the step of cutting the sheet into threads, pieces or strips to obtain the aerosol-generating substrate described above. Said threads, pieces or strips may be brought together by suitable means to form a rod of the aerosol-generating substrate. In the formed rod of the aerosol-generating substrate, said threads, pieces or strips may be substantially aligned, for example, in the longitudinal direction of the rod. Alternatively, said threads, pieces or strips may be randomly oriented in the rod.

The methods according to the present invention may optionally further include the step of winding the sheet onto a reel after the drying step.

The present invention further provides an alternative method based on a papermaking process for producing sheets of homogenized rosemary material in the form of "plant paper".

Plant paper refers to a reconstituted plant sheet formed by a process in which plant material is extracted with a solvent to obtain an extract of soluble plant compounds and an insoluble residue of fibrous plant material, and this extract is re-mixed with the insoluble residue. The extract may optionally be concentrated or further processed before re-mixing with the insoluble residue. The insoluble residue may optionally be purified and mixed with additional plant fibers before re-mixing with the extract. When performing the method according to the present invention, the plant material will contain rosemary particles, optionally in combination with tobacco particles.

In more detail, the method for producing plant paper includes a first step of mixing plant material and water to form a dilute suspension. The dilute suspension contains mainly separated cellulose fibers. The suspension has a lower viscosity and a higher water content than the suspension obtained in the casting process. This first step may include soaking, optionally in the presence of an alkali, such as sodium hydroxide, and optionally the effect of heat.

The method further comprises a second step, in which the suspension is separated into an insoluble portion containing the insoluble residue of fibrous plant material, and a liquid or aqueous extract containing soluble plant compounds. The water remaining in the insoluble residue of fibrous plant material can be drained through a mesh acting as a sieve, and thus a web of randomly interwoven fibers can be laid. Water can be further removed from this web by compression with rollers, sometimes by suction or vacuum.

After the aqueous fraction and water are removed, a sheet is formed from the insoluble residue. Preferably, a generally flat, smooth, uniform sheet of plant fibers is formed.

Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of concentrating the extract of soluble plant compounds that have been removed from the leaf and adding the concentrated extract to the leaf of insoluble fibrous plant material to form a sheet of homogenized plant material. Alternatively or additionally, a soluble plant substance or a concentrated plant substance from another process may be added to the leaf. The extract or concentrated extract may be obtained from another variety of plant of the same species or from plants of other species.

This process, as described in US-A-3,860,012, has been used with tobacco to produce reconstituted tobacco products, also known as tobacco paper. The same process may also be used with one or more plants to produce a paper-like sheet material, such as rosemary paper.

In some preferred embodiments, the homogenized rosemary material used in the articles of the present invention is obtained by a papermaking process as described above. The homogenized tobacco material or the homogenized rosemary material obtained by such a process is called tobacco paper or rosemary paper. The homogenized plant material produced by the papermaking process can be distinguished by the presence of many fibers throughout the material, visible to the naked eye or under an optical microscope, especially when the paper is wetted with water. In contrast, the homogenized plant material produced by the casting process contains fewer fibers than paper and shows a tendency to dissociate to form a suspension when wetted. Mixed tobacco and rosemary paper refers to the homogenized plant material obtained by such a process using a mixture of tobacco and rosemary materials.

In embodiments in which the aerosol-generating substrate comprises a mixture of rosemary particles and tobacco particles, the aerosol-generating substrate may comprise one or more sheets of rosemary paper and one or more sheets of tobacco paper. The sheets of rosemary paper and tobacco paper may be arranged in alternating positions or stacked on top of each other before being assembled to form a rod. If desired, the sheets may be corrugated. Alternatively, the sheets of rosemary paper and tobacco paper may be cut into threads, strips or pieces and then combined to form a rod. The relative amounts of tobacco and rosemary in the aerosol-generating substrate may be adjusted by changing the respective amounts of tobacco and rosemary sheets or the relative amounts of rosemary and tobacco threads, strips or pieces in the rod.

For example, the number or amount of tobacco and rosemary leaves or threads may be adjusted so that the ratio of rosemary to tobacco is approximately 1:4, or approximately 1:9, or approximately 1:30.

Other known processes which can be used to produce homogenised plant materials are pasty reconstitution processes of the type described, for example, in US-A-3,894,544, and extrusion processes of the type described, for example, in GB-A-983,928. Typically, the densities of homogenised plant materials produced by extrusion processes and pasty reconstitution processes are higher than the densities of homogenised plant materials produced by casting processes.

In alternative embodiments of the present invention, the homogenized rosemary material is present in the form of a gel composition formed by rosemary particles, an aerosol forming agent and a binder.

Preferably, if the homogenized rosemary material is present as a gel composition containing rosemary particles, the binder comprises a cellulose ether, such as carboxymethylcellulose. The binder may be present in an amount of from about 1 percent to about 5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the gel. For example, the gel composition may contain from 1.5 percent by weight to 3.5 percent by weight sodium carboxymethylcellulose.

Preferably, the gel composition comprises at least about 60 percent by weight of an aerosol forming agent, such as glycerin, based on the total weight of the gel. For example, the gel composition may comprise from 65 percent by weight to 85 percent by weight of glycerin.

If necessary, the gel composition may further comprise an acid, such as lactic acid. The acid may be present in an amount of up to about 6 percent by weight based on the total weight of the gel composition. If necessary, the gel composition may comprise up to about 5 percent by weight of nicotine based on the total weight of the gel composition. If necessary, the gel composition comprises from about 10 percent by weight to about 30 percent by weight of water based on the total weight of the gel composition.

In embodiments where the homogenized rosemary material is present as a gel composition, the aerosol generating substrate preferably comprises a porous medium loaded with the gel composition. The term "porous" is used herein to refer to a material in which a plurality of pores or openings are created to allow air to pass through the material.

The porous medium may be any suitable porous material capable of containing or retaining the gel composition. Ideally, the porous medium is capable of allowing the gel composition to move within it. In particular embodiments, the porous medium comprises natural, synthetic or semi-synthetic materials, or a combination thereof. In particular embodiments, the porous medium comprises a sheet material, a foam material or fibers, such as loose fibers, or a combination thereof. In particular embodiments, the porous medium comprises a woven, non-woven or extruded material, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the porous medium comprises cotton, paper, viscose, polylactic acid (PLA) or acetyl cellulose, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the porous medium comprises a sheet material, such as cotton or acetyl cellulose. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the porous medium comprises a sheet made of cotton fibers.

The porous medium used in the present invention may be corrugated or ground. In preferred embodiments, the porous medium is corrugated. In alternative embodiments, the porous medium comprises ground porous medium. The corrugation or grinding process may be performed before or after loading with the gel composition.

Preferably, if the homogenized rosemary material is present in the form of a gel-like composition loaded onto a porous medium, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises an elongated current-collecting element extending longitudinally through the porous medium or adjacent to the porous medium.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating articles of the present invention comprises at least about 200 mg of homogenized rosemary material, more preferably at least about 250 mg of homogenized rosemary material, and more preferably at least about 300 mg of homogenized rosemary material.

The aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention comprise a rod containing a substrate in one or more plugs. Said rod of aerosol-generating substrate may have a length of about 5 mm to about 120 mm. For example, the rod may preferably have a length of about 10 to about 45 mm, more preferably about 10 mm to 15 mm, most preferably about 12 mm.

In alternative embodiments, the rod preferably has a length of about 30 mm to about 45 mm, or about 33 mm to about 41 mm. If the rod is formed from a single plug of aerosol-generating substrate, this plug has the same length as the rod.

The rod of the aerosol-generating substrate may have an outer diameter of about 5 mm to about 10 mm, depending on its intended use. For example, in some embodiments, the rod may have an outer diameter of about 5.5 mm to about 8 mm, or about 6.5 mm to about 8 mm. The "outer diameter" of the rod of the aerosol-generating substrate corresponds to the diameter of the rod containing any wrappers.

The rod of the aerosol-generating substrate of the aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention is preferably surrounded by one or more wrappers along at least a portion of its length. The one or more wrappers may comprise a paper wrapper and/or a non-paper wrapper. Paper wrappers suitable for use in particular embodiments of the present invention are known in the art and include, but are not limited to, types of cigarette paper and filter wicks. Suitable non-paper wrappers for use in particular embodiments of the present invention are known in the art and include, without limitation, sheets of homogenized tobacco materials. Homogenized tobacco wrappers are particularly suitable for use in those embodiments in which the aerosol-generating substrate comprises one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material formed from particulate plant material with a low percentage by weight of tobacco particles, for example from 20 percent to 0 percent by weight of tobacco particles on a dry weight basis.

In particular embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol-generating substrate is surrounded along at least a portion of its length by a heat-conducting sheet material, such as a metal foil, such as aluminum foil or metallized paper. The metal foil or metallized paper serves to quickly conduct heat through the aerosol-generating substrate. In addition, the metal foil or metallized paper can serve to prevent the aerosol-generating substrate from igniting if the consumer attempts to set it on fire. In addition, during use, the metal foil or metallized paper provides the ability to prevent unpleasant odors generated by heating the outer wrapper from penetrating into the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate. For example, this can be a problem in the case of aerosol-generating articles having an aerosol-generating substrate that is heated from the outside during use for the purpose of generating an aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, a metallized wrapper may be used to facilitate detection or recognition of the aerosol-generating article when it is inserted into the aerosol-generating device during use. The metal foil or metallized paper may contain metallic particles, such as iron particles.

Said one or more wrappers surrounding the aerosol generating substrate preferably have a total thickness of from about 0.1 mm to about 0.9 mm.

The inner diameter of the aerosol-generating substrate rod is preferably from about 3 mm to about 9.5 mm, more preferably from about 4 mm to about 7.5 mm, more preferably from about 5 mm to about 7.5 mm. The "inner diameter" corresponds to the diameter of the aerosol-generating substrate rod without including the thickness of the wrappers, but measured nevertheless with the wrappers in place.

Aerosol generating articles according to the present invention also include, without limitation, a cartridge or a disposable part for a hookah.

The aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention may optionally comprise a support element comprising at least one hollow tube located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate, immediately behind it. One of the functions of the tube is to position the aerosol-generating substrate towards the distal end of the aerosol-generating article in such a way as to enable it to be brought into contact with the heating element. The tube functions in such a way that it prevents the aerosol-generating substrate from moving along the aerosol-generating article towards other downstream elements when the heating element is inserted into the aerosol-generating substrate. The tube also functions as a separating element for separating the downstream elements from the aerosol-generating substrate. The tube may be made of any material, such as cellulose acetate, polymer, cardboard or paper.

Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention may optionally comprise an aerosol cooling element located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate and downstream of the hollow tube forming the support element, immediately behind it. In use, the aerosol formed by the volatile compounds released from the aerosol-generating substrate passes through the aerosol cooling element and is cooled by it before it is inhaled by the user. The lower temperature allows the vapors to condense to form an aerosol. The aerosol cooling element may be a hollow tube, such as a hollow cellulose acetate tube or a cardboard tube, which may be similar to the support element located immediately downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate. The aerosol cooling element may be a hollow tube that has an equal outer diameter, but a smaller or larger inner diameter than the hollow tube of the support element.

In one embodiment, the paper-wrapped aerosol cooling element comprises one or more longitudinal channels made of any suitable material, such as metal foil, foil-laminated paper, a polymer sheet, preferably made of a synthetic polymer, and substantially non-porous paper or cardboard. In some embodiments, the paper-wrapped aerosol cooling element may comprise one or more sheets made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), paper laminated with a polymer sheet, and aluminum foil. Alternatively, the aerosol cooling element may be made of interwoven or non-interwoven threads of a material selected from the group consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose acetate (CA). In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol cooling element is a corrugated and assembled sheet of polylactic acid wrapped in filter paper. In another preferred embodiment, the aerosol cooling element comprises a longitudinal channel and is made of interwoven threads of a synthetic polymer, such as threads of polylactic acid, which are wrapped in paper.

Further downstream of the aerosol cooling element, one or more additional hollow tubes may be provided.

The aerosol-generating articles of the present invention may further comprise a filter or mouthpiece located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate and, if present, a support element and an aerosol cooling element. The filter may comprise one or more filter materials for removing particulate components, gaseous components, or a combination thereof. Suitable filter materials are known in the art and include, but are not limited to: fibrous filter materials, such as, for example, cellulose acetate tow and paper; adsorbents, such as, for example, activated alumina, zeolites, molecular sieves, and silica gel; biodegradable polymers, including, for example, polylactic acid (PLA), Mater-Bi®, hydrophobic viscose fibers, and bioplastics; and combinations thereof. The filter may be located at the downstream end of the aerosol-generating article. The filter may be a cellulose acetate filter plug. The filter in one embodiment has a length of approximately 7 mm, but may have a length of from approximately 5 mm to approximately 10 mm.

Aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention may comprise a mouth-end cavity located at a downstream end of the article. The mouth-end cavity may be formed by one or more wrappers extending downstream of a filter or mouthpiece. Alternatively, the mouth-end cavity may be formed by a separate tubular element provided at a downstream end of the aerosol-generating article.

The aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention preferably further comprise a ventilation zone provided at a location along the aerosol-generating article. For example, the aerosol-generating article may be provided at a location along a hollow tube provided downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate.

The aerosol-generating articles of the present invention may optionally further comprise an upstream element located at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate. The upstream element may be a porous element in the form of a plug, such as a plug made of fibrous filter material, such as cellulose acetate.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating substrate; at least one hollow tube located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate; and a filter located downstream of said at least one hollow tube. If necessary, the aerosol-generating article further comprises a cavity at the mouthpiece end located at the downstream end of the filter. If necessary, the aerosol-generating article further comprises an upstream element located at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate. Preferably, the ventilation zone is provided at a location along said at least one hollow tube.

In a particularly preferred embodiment having this arrangement, the aerosol-generating article comprises an aerosol-generating substrate; an upstream element located at the upstream end of the aerosol-generating substrate; a support element located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate; an aerosol-cooling element located downstream of the support element; and a filter located downstream of the aerosol-cooling element. Preferably, both the support element and the aerosol-cooling element have the shape of a hollow tube. Preferably, the aerosol-generating substrate comprises an elongated current-collecting element passing through it in the longitudinal direction.

In one particularly preferred example, the aerosol-generating substrate has a length of approximately 33 mm and an outer diameter of approximately 5.5 mm to 6.7 mm, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate comprises approximately 340 mg of homogenized rosemary material in the form of a plurality of filaments, and said homogenized rosemary material comprises approximately 14 percent by weight of glycerin on a dry weight basis. In this embodiment, the aerosol-generating article has a total length of approximately 74 mm and comprises a filter in the form of an acetate cellulose rope having a length of approximately 10 mm, as well as a cavity at the mouth end formed by a hollow tube having a length of approximately 6-7 mm. The aerosol-generating article comprises a hollow tube located downstream of the aerosol-generating substrate, wherein said hollow tube has a length of approximately 25 mm and is equipped with a ventilation zone.

The aerosol-generating articles according to the present invention may have a total length of at least about 30 mm or at least about 40 mm. The total length of the aerosol-generating article may be less than 90 mm or less than about 80 mm.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article has a total length of about 40 mm to about 50 mm, preferably about 45 mm. In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating article has a total length of about 70 mm to about 90 mm, preferably about 80 mm to about 85 mm. In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating article has a total length of about 72 mm to about 76 mm, preferably about 74 mm.

The aerosol-generating article may have an outer diameter of about 5 mm to about 8 mm, preferably about 6 mm to about 8 mm. In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating article has an outer diameter of about 7.3 mm.

The aerosol-generating articles of the present invention may further comprise one or more aerosol-modifying elements. The aerosol-modifying element may provide an aerosol-modifying substance. As used herein, the term "aerosol-modifying substance" is used to describe any substance that, when used, modifies one or more features or properties of an aerosol passing through a filter. Suitable aerosol-modifying substances include, but are not limited to, substances that, when used, impart flavor or aroma to an aerosol passing through a filter, or substances that, when used, remove flavors from an aerosol passing through a filter.

The aerosol modifying agent may be one or more of a wet or liquid flavoring agent. Water or moisture may modify the sensory sensations experienced by the user, for example, by moistening the generated aerosol, which may have a cooling effect on the aerosol and reduce the sensation of astringency experienced by the user. The aerosol modifying element may be present in the form of a flavoring agent delivery element designed to deliver one or more liquid flavoring agents. Alternatively, the liquid flavoring agent may be added directly to the homogenized rosemary material, for example by adding the flavoring agent to a suspension or raw material during the preparation of the homogenized rosemary material or by spraying the liquid flavoring agent onto the surface of the homogenized rosemary material.

Said one or more liquid flavor additives may comprise any flavor compound or plant extract suitable for placement in liquid form with the possibility of release in the flavor delivery element to improve the taste of the aerosol generated during use of the aerosol-generating article. Flavor substances, liquid or solid, may also be placed directly in the material that forms the filter, such as cellulose acetate tow. Suitable flavoring agents or aromatizers include, but are not limited to, menthol, mint such as peppermint and spearmint, chocolate, licorice, citrus and other fruit flavors, gamma octalactone, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, breath fresheners, spice flavors such as cinnamon, methyl salicylate, linalool, betulinic acid, bergamot oil, geranium oil, lemon oil, hemp oil, and tobacco flavor. Other suitable flavors may include flavor compounds selected from the group consisting of an acid, an alcohol, an ester, an aldehyde, a ketone, a pyrazine, combinations or mixtures thereof, and the like.

In particular embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol modifying agent may be an essential oil derived from one or more plants. For example, the homogenized rosemary material may contain rosemary oil, such as rosemary essential oil, to further enhance the effect of rosemary flavors delivered to the consumer upon heating.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol generating substrate may comprise homogenized rosemary material comprising particulate plant material, such as tea particles, in combination with rosemary oil.

The aerosol modifying agent may be an adsorbent material such as activated carbon that removes certain components of the aerosol passing through the filter and thus modifies the taste and aroma of the aerosol.

Said one or more aerosol modification elements may be located downstream of the aerosol generating substrate or inside the aerosol generating substrate. The aerosol generating substrate may comprise a homogenized rosemary material and an aerosol modification element. In various embodiments, the aerosol modification element may be located adjacent to the homogenized rosemary material or embedded in the homogenized rosemary material. Typically, the aerosol modification elements may be located downstream of the aerosol generating substrate, most often inside an aerosol cooling element, inside a filter of the aerosol generating article, for example inside a filter plug, or inside a cavity, preferably inside a cavity between the filter plugs. Said one or more aerosol modification elements may be present in the form of one or more of threads, capsules, microcapsules, granules or a polymer matrix material, or in the form of a combination thereof.

If the aerosol modification element is present in the form of a thread, as described in WO-A-2011/060961, this thread can be made of paper, such as filter paper, loaded with at least one aerosol modification substance and located inside the filter housing. Other materials that can be used to make the thread include acetyl cellulose and cotton.

If the aerosol modification element is present in the form of a capsule as described in WO-A-2007/010407, WO-A-2013/068100 and WO-A-2014/154887, this capsule may be a destructible capsule located inside the filter, wherein the inner core of the capsule contains an aerosol modification substance that can be released when the outer shell of the capsule is destructed when the filter is subjected to an external force. The capsule may be located inside the filter plug or inside a cavity, preferably a cavity between the filter plugs.

If the aerosol modifying element is present in the form of a polymeric matrix material, this polymeric matrix material releases the flavouring substance when the aerosol generating article is heated, for example when the polymeric matrix is heated to a temperature exceeding the melting point of the polymeric matrix material, as described in WO-A-2013/034488. Typically, such a polymeric matrix material may be located within a granule, which in turn is located within an aerosol generating substrate. Alternatively or additionally, the flavouring substance may be retained within domains of the polymeric matrix material, and may be released from the polymeric matrix material when the polymeric matrix material is compressed. Preferably, the flavouring substance is released when the polymeric matrix material is compressed with a force of approximately 15 Newtons. Such taste/aroma modification elements are capable of providing a delayed release of a liquid flavouring substance in a force range of at least 5 Newtons, such as from 5 N to 20 N, as described in WO2013/068304. Typically, such a polymer matrix material may be located inside a granule, which in turn is located inside a filter.

The aerosol generating article may comprise a combustible heat source and an aerosol generating substrate located downstream of the combustible heat source, wherein the aerosol generating substrate is as described above in relation to the first aspect of the present invention.

For example, the substrates described herein may be used in heated aerosol-generating articles of the types described in WO-A-2009/022232 and comprising a combustible carbon-based heat source, an aerosol-generating substrate located downstream of the combustible heat source, and a heat-conducting element surrounding and in contact with a rear portion of the combustible carbon-based heat source and an adjacent front portion of the aerosol-generating substrate. However, it should be understood that the substrates described herein may also be used in heated aerosol-generating articles comprising combustible heat sources having other structures.

The present invention provides an aerosol generating system that comprises an aerosol generating device comprising a heating element and an aerosol generating article for use with the aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating article comprises an aerosol generating substrate as described above.

In a preferred embodiment, the aerosol-generating substrates described herein may be used in heated aerosol-generating articles intended for use in electric aerosol-generating systems, in which the aerosol-generating substrate of the heated aerosol-generating article is heated using an electric heat source.

For example, the aerosol generating substrates described herein may be used in heated aerosol generating articles of the type described in EP-A-0 822 760.

The heating element of such aerosol generating devices may have any suitable shape for conducting heat. Heating of the aerosol generating substrate may be achieved from the inside and/or from the outside. The heating element may preferably be a heating blade or pin adapted to be inserted into the substrate, whereby the substrate is heated from the inside. Alternatively, the heating element may partially or completely surround the substrate and heat it circumferentially from the outside.

The aerosol generating system may be an electric aerosol generating system comprising an induction heating device. Induction heating devices typically comprise an induction source configured to communicate with a current collector, which may be provided outside the aerosol generating substrate or inside the aerosol generating substrate. The induction source generates an alternating electromagnetic field that causes magnetization or eddy currents in the current collector. The current collector may be heated as a result of hysteresis losses or induced eddy currents that heat the current collector by ohmic or resistive heating.

Electric aerosol-generating systems that comprise an induction heating device may also comprise an aerosol-generating article that comprises an aerosol-generating substrate and a current collector that is in thermal proximity to the aerosol-generating substrate. Typically, the current collector is in direct contact with the aerosol-generating substrate and heat is transferred from the current collector to the aerosol-generating substrate primarily by conduction. Examples of electric aerosol-generating systems that comprise induction heating devices and aerosol-generating articles that have current collectors are described in WO-A1-95/27411 and WO-A1-2015/177255. The current collector may be a plurality of current collector particles that may be deposited on or embedded within the aerosol-generating substrate. If the aerosol-generating substrate is present in the form of one or more sheets, then a plurality of current-collecting particles can be deposited on said one or more sheets or embedded within them. The current-collecting particles are immobilized by the substrate, for example in the form of a sheet, and remain in the initial position. Preferably, the current-collecting particles can be uniformly distributed in the homogenized rosemary material of the aerosol-generating substrate. Due to the fact that the current-collecting particle is present in the form of particles, heat is generated according to the distribution of the particles in the sheet of the homogenized rosemary material of the substrate. Alternatively, the current-collecting particle in the form of one or more sheets, strips, pieces or rods can also be located near the homogenized rosemary material or used as embedded in the homogenized rosemary material. In one embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate comprises one or more current-collecting strips. For example, the aerosol-generating substrate rod may comprise an elongated current-collecting element extending longitudinally through it. In another embodiment, the current-collecting element is located in the aerosol-generating device.

The current collector may have a heat loss greater than 0.05 joule per kilogram, preferably a heat loss greater than 0.1 joule per kilogram. The heat loss represents the ability of the current collector to transfer heat to the surrounding material. Since the current collector particles are preferably uniformly distributed in the aerosol-generating substrate, it is possible to achieve uniform heat losses from the current collector particles and, thus, generate a uniform heat distribution in the aerosol-generating substrate, which leads to a uniform temperature distribution in the aerosol-generating article. It has been found that a specific minimum heat loss of 0.05 joule per kilogram in the current collector particles allows heating the aerosol-generating substrate to a substantially uniform temperature, which ensures the generation of an aerosol. Preferably, the average temperatures achieved within the aerosol-generating substrate in such embodiments are from about 200 degrees Celsius to about 240 degrees Celsius.

The risk of overheating of the aerosol-generating substrate can be reduced by using current-collecting materials whose Curie temperature allows the heating process to be carried out by hysteresis losses only up to a certain maximum temperature. The current collector can have a Curie temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius to about 450 degrees Celsius, preferably about 240 degrees Celsius to about 400 degrees Celsius, for example about 280 degrees Celsius. When the current-collecting material reaches its Curie temperature, its magnetic properties change. At the Curie temperature, the current-collecting material changes from the ferromagnetic phase to the paramagnetic phase. At this point, the heating based on energy losses due to the orientation of the ferromagnetic domains stops. Further heating is based primarily on the creation of an eddy current, so that the heating process automatically weakens when the Curie temperature of the current-collecting material is reached. Preferably, the current-collecting material and its Curie temperature are adapted to the composition of the aerosol-generating substrate in order to achieve optimal temperature and temperature distribution in the aerosol-generating substrate for optimal aerosol generation.

In some preferred embodiments of the aerosol-generating article according to the present invention, the current collector is made of ferrite. Ferrite is a ferromagnetic material with high magnetic permeability and is particularly suitable as a current collector material. The main component of ferrite is iron. Other metallic components, such as zinc, nickel, manganese, or non-metallic components, such as silicon, may also be present in varying amounts. Ferrite is a relatively inexpensive and commercially available material. Ferrite is available in the form of particles with particle size ranges used in the particulate plant material forming the homogenized rosemary material according to the present invention. Preferably, the particles are fully sintered ferrite powder, such as, for example, FP160, FP215, FP350, supplied by PPT, Indiana, U.S.A.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an aerosol-generating system comprises an aerosol-generating article that comprises an aerosol-generating substrate as described above, a source of a substance for forming an aerosol and means for evaporating the substance for forming an aerosol, preferably a heating element as described above. The source of the substance for forming an aerosol may be a reservoir, which may be refillable or replaceable and is located on the aerosol-generating device. Although the reservoir is physically separated from the aerosol-generating article, the generated vapor is directed through the aerosol-generating article. The vapor comes into contact with the aerosol-generating substrate, which releases volatile compounds, such as nicotine and flavor additives, present in the plant material in the form of particles, to form an aerosol. If necessary, to facilitate the evaporation of the compounds present in the aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating system may further comprise a heating element for heating the aerosol-generating substrate, preferably together with the substance for forming an aerosol. However, in some embodiments, the heating element used to heat the aerosol-generating article is separate from the heater that heats the substance to form the aerosol.

As defined above, the present invention further provides an aerosol obtained by heating an aerosol-generating substrate, said aerosol containing specific amounts and ratios of characteristic compounds obtained from rosemary particles as defined above.

According to the present invention, the aerosol comprises betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 micrograms per puff of the aerosol; rosmarindiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol; and 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol, wherein the puff of the aerosol has a volume of 55 milliliters when generated by the smoking machine. For the purposes of the present invention, a "puff" is defined as the volume of aerosol released from an aerosol-generating substrate upon heating and collection for analysis, wherein the puff of the aerosol has a volume of 55 milliliters when generated by the smoking machine. Accordingly, any reference to a "puff" of an aerosol should be understood as referring to a puff of 55 milliliters, unless otherwise specified.

The ranges specified define the total amount of each component measured in a 55 milliliter puff of aerosol. The aerosol may be generated from an aerosol-generating substrate using any suitable means and may be captured and analyzed as described above to identify the characteristic compounds in the aerosol and measure their amounts. For example, a "puff" may correspond to a 55 milliliter puff taken from a smoking machine, such as a machine used in accordance with the test method approved by Health Canada and described herein.

Preferably, the aerosol according to the present invention comprises at least about 0.5 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 2 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 5 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 25 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol, preferably up to about 20 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to about 15 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol. For example, an aerosol generated from an aerosol-generating substrate may contain from about 0.5 micrograms to about 25 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol, or from about 2 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol to about 20 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol, or from about 5 micrograms to about 15 micrograms of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol.

Preferably, the aerosol of the present invention comprises at least about 0.1 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 0.5 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per puff of the aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 5 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to about 2 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to about 1 microgram of rosmaridiphenol per puff of the aerosol. For example, an aerosol generated from an aerosol-generating substrate may contain from about 0.01 micrograms to about 5 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol, or from about 0.1 micrograms to about 2 micrograms of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol, or from about 0.5 micrograms to about 1 microgram of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol.

Preferably, the aerosol of the present invention comprises at least about 0.1 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol, more preferably at least about 0.5 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol. Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises up to about 5 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol, preferably up to about 2 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol, more preferably up to about 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol. For example, an aerosol generated from an aerosol-generating substrate may contain from about 0.01 micrograms to about 5 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol, or from about 0.1 micrograms to about 2 micrograms of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol, or from about 0.5 micrograms to about 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per puff of aerosol.

According to the present invention, the aerosol composition is such that the amount of betulinic acid per puff of the aerosol is at least 5 times greater than the amount of rosmaridiphenol per puff of the aerosol. Therefore, the ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridiphenol in the aerosol is preferably at least about 5:1.

Preferably, the amount of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol is at least 10 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol. More preferably, the amount of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol is at least 20 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol.

The above-determined ratios of betulinic acid and rosmaridiphenol characterize the aerosol obtained from rosemary particles. In comparison, in the aerosol obtained from rosemary essential oil, the ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridiphenol will be very different.

Preferably, the aerosol according to the present invention further comprises at least about 0.1 milligrams of aerosol former per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 0.2 milligrams of aerosol former per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 0.3 milligrams of aerosol former per puff of the aerosol. Preferably, the aerosol comprises up to 0.6 milligrams of aerosol former per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to 0.5 milligrams of aerosol former per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to 0.4 milligrams of aerosol former per puff of the aerosol. For example, an aerosol may contain from about 0.1 milligrams to about 0.6 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per puff of the aerosol, or from about 0.2 milligrams to about 0.5 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per puff of the aerosol, or from about 0.3 milligrams to about 0.4 milligrams of aerosol forming agent per puff of the aerosol. These values are based on a puff volume of 55 milliliters, as defined above.

Suitable aerosol forming materials for use in the present invention are presented above.

Preferably, the aerosol obtained from the aerosol-generating substrate according to the present invention further comprises at least about 2 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 20 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol, more preferably at least about 40 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol. Preferably, the aerosol comprises up to about 200 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to about 150 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol, more preferably up to about 75 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol. For example, the aerosol may contain from about 2 micrograms to about 200 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol, or from about 20 micrograms to about 150 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol, or from about 40 micrograms to about 75 micrograms of nicotine per puff of the aerosol. These values are based on a puff volume of 55 milliliters, as defined above. In some embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol may contain zero micrograms of nicotine.

Alternatively or additionally, the aerosol according to the present invention may optionally further comprise at least about 0.5 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per puff of aerosol, more preferably at least about 1 milligram of cannabinoid compound per puff of aerosol, more preferably at least about 2 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per puff of aerosol. Preferably, the aerosol comprises up to about 5 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per puff of aerosol, more preferably up to about 4 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per puff of aerosol, more preferably up to about 3 milligrams of cannabinoid compound per puff of aerosol. For example, the aerosol may contain from about 0.5 milligrams to about 5 milligrams of a cannabinoid compound per puff of the aerosol, or from about 1 milligram to about 4 milligrams of a cannabinoid compound per puff of the aerosol, or from about 2 milligrams to about 3 milligrams of a cannabinoid compound per puff of the aerosol. In some embodiments of the present invention, the aerosol may contain zero micrograms of a cannabinoid compound. These values are based on a puff volume of 55 milliliters, as defined above.

Preferably, the cannabinoid compound is selected from cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol. More preferably, the cannabinoid compound is cannabidiol.

Carbon monoxide may also be present in the aerosol according to the present invention, and it is possible to measure it and use it to further determine the characteristics of the aerosol. Nitrogen oxide compounds, such as nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, may also be present in the aerosol, and it is possible to measure them and use them to further determine the characteristics of the aerosol.

The aerosol of the present invention containing the characteristic compounds from rosemary particles can be obtained from particles having a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) in the range of from about 0.01 to 200 microns or from about 1 to 100 microns. Preferably, if the aerosol contains nicotine as described above, the aerosol contains particles having a MMAD in the range of from about 0.1 to about 3 microns to optimize the delivery of nicotine from the aerosol.

The mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of an aerosol refers to the aerodynamic diameter at which half the mass of the aerosol particles consists of particles with an aerodynamic diameter greater than the MMAD and half consists of particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than the MMAD. The aerodynamic diameter is defined as the diameter of a spherical particle with a density of 1 g/ ^cm3 that has the same settling velocity as the particle being characterized.

The mass median aerodynamic diameter of the aerosol of the present invention may be determined according to Section 2.8 of Schaller et al., “Evaluation of the Tobacco Heating System 2.2. Part 2: Chemical composition, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and physical properties of the aerosol,” Regul. Toxicol. and Pharmacol., 81 (2016) S27-S47.

According to the present invention, there is further provided an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate, in turn comprising homogenised rosemary material, wherein upon heating the aerosol-generating substrate according to test method A, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises: betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 micrograms per puff of the aerosol; rosmaridiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol and 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 micrograms per puff of the aerosol, wherein the puff of the aerosol has a volume of 55 millilitres when generated by a smoking machine.

For the purposes of the present invention, a "puff" is defined as the volume of aerosol released from an aerosol-generating substrate when heated and collected for analysis, wherein a puff of aerosol has a volume of 55 milliliters when generated by a smoking machine. Accordingly, any reference to a "puff" of aerosol shall be understood to refer to a puff of 55 milliliters, unless otherwise specified. The ranges specified define the total amount of each component measured in a puff of 55 milliliters of aerosol. The aerosol may be generated from an aerosol-generating substrate using any suitable means and may be captured and analyzed as described above to identify the characteristic compounds in the aerosol and measure their quantities. For example, a "puff" may correspond to a puff of 55 milliliters taken from a smoking machine, such as a machine used in accordance with the test method approved by Health Canada and described herein.

Preferably, the amount of betulinic acid per puff of aerosol is at least 5 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol, more preferably at least 10 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol, more preferably at least 20 times the amount of rosmaridiphenol per puff of aerosol.

As defined above, the present invention also provides an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material comprising from 1 percent by weight to 25 percent by weight of rosemary particles, from 5 percent to 30 percent by weight of an aerosol-forming substance, and from 1 percent by weight to 10 percent by weight of a binder, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate comprises: at least 30 micrograms of betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 1 microgram of rosmaridiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis, and at least 1 microgram of 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis.

Specific embodiments will be described below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a substrate of an aerosol generating article described herein;

Fig. 2 shows an aerosol generating system that comprises an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device that comprises an electric heating element;

Fig. 3 shows an aerosol generating system that comprises an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device that comprises a combustible heating element;

Fig. 4a and 4b show a second embodiment of the substrate of the aerosol generating article described herein;

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of the substrate of the aerosol generating article described herein;

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of filter 1050, additionally containing an element for modifying the aerosol, wherein

Fig. 6a shows an aerosol modifying element in the form of a spherical capsule or ball inside a filter rod.

Fig. 6b shows an element for modifying an aerosol in the form of a thread inside a filter plug.

Fig. 6c shows an element for modifying an aerosol in the form of a spherical capsule inside a cavity in a filter;

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of a plug made of an aerosol generating substrate 1020, further comprising a current collecting element; and

Fig. 8 shows a test setup for collecting aerosol samples to be analyzed for the purpose of measuring characteristic compounds.

Fig. 1 shows a heated aerosol-generating article 1000 comprising a substrate described herein. The article 1000 comprises four elements; an aerosol-generating substrate 1020, a hollow cellulose acetate tube 1030, a separator element 1040 and a mouthpiece filter 1050. These four elements are arranged in series, aligned along an axis and united by means of a cigarette paper 1060 to form the aerosol-generating article 1000. The article 1000 has a mouthpiece end 1012 that the user inserts into his mouth during use, and a distal end 1013 located at the opposite end of the article from the mouthpiece end 1012. The embodiment of the aerosol-generating article shown in Fig. 1, particularly suitable for use with an electric aerosol generating device comprising a heater for heating an aerosol generating substrate.

When assembled, the length of the 1000 product is approximately 45 millimeters, the outer diameter is approximately 7.2 millimeters, and the inner diameter is approximately 6.9 millimeters.

Aerosol generating substrate 1020 comprises a plug formed from a sheet of homogenized rosemary material containing rosemary particles either alone or in combination with tobacco particles.

Several examples of suitable homogenized plant material for producing aerosol-generating substrate 1020 are shown in Table 1 below (see samples B-D). The leaf is collected, pleated and wrapped in filter paper (not shown) to form a plug. The leaf includes additives, including glycerol as an aerosol forming agent.

The aerosol-generating article 1000 shown in Fig. 1 is configured to interact with an aerosol-generating device for the purpose of consumption. Such an aerosol-generating device includes means for heating an aerosol-generating substrate 1020 to a temperature sufficient for forming an aerosol. Typically, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a heating element that surrounds the aerosol-generating article 1000 near the aerosol-generating substrate 1020, or a heating element that is inserted into the aerosol-generating substrate 1020.

After interaction with the aerosol generating device, the user draws on the mouth end 1012 of the smoking article 1000, and the aerosol generating substrate 1020 is heated to a temperature of approximately 375 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, volatile compounds are released from the aerosol generating substrate 1020. These compounds condense to form an aerosol. The aerosol is drawn through the filter 1050 into the user's mouth.

Fig. 2 shows a part of an electric aerosol-generating system 2000, which uses a heating blade 2100 to heat an aerosol-generating substrate 1020 of an aerosol-generating article 1000. The heating plate is mounted inside a chamber for receiving an aerosol-generating article in an electric aerosol-generating device 2010. The aerosol-generating device has a plurality of air holes 2050 to allow air to pass to the aerosol-generating article 1000. The air flow is indicated by arrows in Fig. 2. The aerosol-generating device includes a power source and an electronic circuit, which are not shown in Fig. 2. The aerosol-generating article 1000 shown in Fig. 2 is the same as that described in connection with Fig. 1.

In an alternative configuration shown in Fig. 3, the aerosol generating system is shown with a combustible heating element. While the article 1000 of Fig. 1 is intended for consumption in cooperation with an aerosol generating device, the article 1001 of Fig. 3 comprises a combustible heat source 1080 that can be ignited and the heat of which can be transferred to the aerosol generating substrate 1020 to form an inhalable aerosol. The combustible heat source 80 is a carbon element that is fixed near the aerosol generating substrate at the distal end 13 of the rod 11. The elements, which are substantially the same as the elements of Fig. 1, are designated by the same numbers.

In Fig. 4a and 4b a second embodiment of a heated aerosol-generating article 4000a, 4000b is shown. The aerosol-generating substrate 4020a, 4020b comprises a first downstream plug 4021 made of particulate plant material comprising rosemary particles and a second upstream plug 4022 made of particulate plant material comprising primarily tobacco particles. Homogenized plant material suitable for use in the first downstream plug is shown in Table 1 below as Sample A. Homogenized tobacco material suitable for use in the second upstream plug is shown in Table 1 below as Sample E. Sample E contains only tobacco particles and is included for comparative purposes only.

In each of the plugs, the homogenized plant material is present in the form of sheets which are corrugated and wrapped in filter paper (not shown). Both sheets contain additives, including glycerol, as a substance for forming an aerosol. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4a, the plugs are combined, arranged in contact end to end to form a rod and have the same length, equal to approximately 6 mm. In a more preferred embodiment (not shown), the second plug is preferably longer than the first plug, for example preferably 2 mm longer, more preferably 3 mm longer, so that the second plug has a length of 7 or 7.5 mm, and the first plug has a length of 5 or 4.5 mm, to ensure the required ratio of tobacco particles to rosemary particles in the substrate. In Fig. 4b, the support element 1030 in the form of an acetate cellulose tube is not shown.

The article 4000a, 4000b, similar to the article 1000 of Fig. 1, is particularly suitable for use with an electric aerosol generating system 2000, which contains a heater shown in Fig. 2. Elements that are substantially the same as the elements of Fig. 1 are designated by the same numbers. It can be envisaged by a person skilled in the art that a combustible heat source (not shown) can be used with the second embodiment instead of an electric heating element in a configuration similar to a configuration containing a combustible heat source 1080 in the article 1001 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a third embodiment of a heated aerosol-generating article 5000. The aerosol-generating substrate 5020 comprises a rod formed from a first sheet of homogenized rosemary material obtained from particulate plant material containing a proportion of rosemary particles, and a second sheet of homogenized plant material containing mainly cast leaf tobacco.

Homogenized plant material suitable for use in the first downstream rod is shown in Table 1 below as Sample A. Homogenized tobacco material suitable for use in the second upstream rod is shown in Table 1 below as Sample E. Sample E contains only tobacco particles and is included for comparative purposes only.

The second sheet lies on top of the first sheet, and the combined sheets are corrugated, collected and at least partially wrapped with filter paper (not shown) to form a plug, which is part of the rod. Both sheets contain additives, including glycerin as an aerosol forming agent. Article 5000, similar to article 1000 of Fig. 1, is particularly suitable for use with an electric aerosol generating system 2000, which contains a heater shown in Fig. 2. Elements that are substantially the same as the elements of Fig. 1 are designated by the same numbers. Those skilled in the art will understand that a combustible heat source (not shown) can be used with the third embodiment instead of an electric heating element in a configuration similar to a configuration containing a combustible heat source 1080 in article 1001 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the filter 1050, which additionally contains an element for modifying the aerosol. In Fig. 6a, the filter 1050 additionally contains an element for modifying the aerosol in the form of a spherical capsule or granule 605.

In the embodiment of Fig. 6a, a capsule or granule 605 is inserted into a filter segment 601 and surrounded on all sides by a filter material 603. In this embodiment, the capsule comprises an outer shell and an inner core, which contains a liquid flavoring substance. The liquid flavoring substance is intended to impart flavor/aroma to the aerosol during use of an aerosol-generating article equipped with a filter. The capsule 605 releases at least a portion of the liquid flavoring substance when an external force acts on the filter, for example, as a result of squeezing by the consumer. In the illustrated embodiment, the capsule is generally spherical, with a substantially continuous outer shell containing a liquid flavoring additive.

In the embodiment of Fig. 6b, the filter segment 601 comprises a plug of filter material 603 and a flavour-carrying central thread 607 which extends axially through the plug of filter material 603 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the filter 1050. The flavour-carrying central thread 607 has substantially the same length as the plug of filter material 603, as a result of which the ends of the flavour-carrying central thread 607 are visible at the ends of the filter segment 601. In Fig. 6b, the filter material 603 is an acetate cellulose tow. The flavour-carrying central thread 607 is made of twisted filter filament and is filled with an aerosol modifying substance.

In the embodiment of Fig. 6c, the filter segment 601 comprises more than one plug of filter material 603, 603'. Preferably, the plugs of filter material 603, 603' are made of cellulose acetate, due to which they are capable of filtering the aerosol provided by the aerosol-generating article. The wrapper 609 is wrapped around the filter plugs 603, 603' and connects them. Inside the cavity 611, a capsule 605 is located, comprising an outer shell and an inner core containing a liquid flavoring substance. Otherwise, the capsule is similar to the embodiment of Fig. 6a.

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of an aerosol-generating substrate 1020, further comprising an elongated susceptor strip 705. The aerosol-generating substrate 1020 comprises a plug 703 made of a sheet of homogenized rosemary material comprising tobacco particles and rosemary particles. The elongated susceptor strip 705 is embedded within the plug 703 and extends in a longitudinal direction between the upstream and downstream ends of the plug 703. During use, the elongated susceptor strip 705 heats the homogenized rosemary material by induction heating, as described above.

Example

Various samples of homogenized plant material for use in the aerosol-generating substrate of the invention, as described above with reference to the figures, can be prepared from aqueous suspensions having the compositions shown in Table 1. Samples B-D contain rosemary particles and tobacco particles according to the present invention. Sample A contains only tobacco particles and is included for comparative purposes only.

Particulate plant material in all samples A-D comprised 75 percent of the dry weight of the homogenized plant material, with glycerol, guar gum, and cellulose fibers comprising the remaining 25 percent of the dry weight of the homogenized plant material. The samples were prepared from an aqueous suspension containing 78-79 kg of water per 100 kg of suspension.

In the table below, "% DWB" means "dry weight basis", in this case the percentage by weight calculated relative to the dry weight of the homogenized plant material. Rosemary powder can be obtained from the leaves of Rosmarinus Officinalis from Spain, which can be ground to a final D95=133 microns by triple impact milling.

The suspensions can be cast using a casting bar (0.6 mm) on a glass plate, dried in an oven at 140 degrees Celsius for 7 minutes, and then dried in a second oven at 120 degrees Celsius for 30 seconds.

Table 1. Dry matter content in suspensions

Sample Rosemary (% DWB) Tobacco
(% DWB) Glycerol
(% DWB) Guar Gum (% DWB) Cellulose fibres (% DWB)
(% DWB) A 0 75 18 3 4 B 15 60 18 3 4 C 7.5 67.5 18 3 4 D 2.5 72.5 18 3 4

For each of the samples AD of homogenized plant material, the plug may be made from a single continuous sheet of homogenized plant material, each sheet having a width of 100 mm to 125 mm. The individual sheets preferably have a thickness of approximately 220 microns and a grammage of approximately 200 g/ ^m2 _. The cutting width of each sheet may be adapted based on the thickness of each sheet to obtain rods of comparable volume. The sheets were corrugated to a height of 165 microns to 170 microns and rolled into rods having a length of approximately 12 mm and diameters of approximately 7 mm, wrapped in paper wrapping.

For each of the plugs, an aerosol generating article may be manufactured having an overall length of approximately 45 mm and having a structure as shown in Fig. 3 and comprising, starting from the downstream end: a cellulose acetate filter (approximately 7 mm long) at the mouthpiece end, an aerosol spacer comprising a corrugated sheet of polylactic acid polymer (approximately 18 mm long), a hollow acetate tube (approximately 8 mm long) and a plug of aerosol generating substrate.

For a sample of homogenized rosemary material containing rosemary particles, the characteristic compounds of rosemary can be extracted from a plug of the homogenized rosemary material using methanol as detailed above. The extract can be analyzed as described above to confirm the presence of the characteristic compounds and to measure the quantities of the characteristic compounds. This can be used to confirm that the levels of the characteristic compounds are within the specified ranges as set out above. In this way, the analysis can be used to ensure quality control of the aerosol generating substrate. For example, the extract can be analyzed to confirm that the levels of betulinic acid, rosmaridiphenol and 12-O-methylcarnosol are within the ranges presented in Table 2 below.

Table 2. Amount of rosemary-specific compounds in the aerosol-generating substrate

Characteristic connection Minimum quantity
(micrograms per gram of substrate) Maximum quantity
(micrograms per gram of substrate) Betulinic acid 50 2000 Rosmaridiphenol 20 1000 12-O-methylcarnosol 0.3 20

Inhalable aerosol streams in aerosol-generating articles that contain aerosol-generating substrates formed from samples A-D of homogenized plant material may be generated according to test method A as defined above. For each sample, the generated aerosol may be captured and analyzed.

As detailed above, Method A may test aerosol-generating articles using a commercially available holder of the Tobacco Heating System 2.2 device in the IQOS® Heated Without Combustion device (THS2.2 holder) from Philip Morris Products SA. The aerosol-generating articles are heated in a Health Canada approved machine smoking mode for 30 puffs with a puff volume of 55 ml, a puff duration of 2 seconds and an inter-puff interval of 30 seconds (as described in ISO/TR 19478-1:2014).

The aerosol generated during the smoking test is collected on a Cambridge filter pad and extracted using a liquid solvent. Fig. 10 shows a suitable apparatus for generating and collecting aerosol from aerosol-generating articles.

The aerosol generating device 111 shown in Fig. 10 is a commercially available device (IQOS) for heating tobacco. The contents of the inhaled aerosol stream generated during the smoking test approved by Health Canada, as described in detail above, are collected in the aerosol collection chamber 113 on the aerosol collection line 120. The glass fiber filter pad 140 is a 44 mm Cambridge fiberglass filter pad (CFP) according to ISO 4387 and ISO 3308 standards.

When analyzed by LC-HRAM-MS :

The extractant 170, 170a, which in this case is methanol and an internal standard solution (ISTD), is present in a volume of 10 ml in each microimpinger 160, 160a. Each of the cold baths 161, 161a contains a mixture of dry ice and isopropyl ether to maintain each of the microimpingers 160, 160a at a temperature of approximately -60 °C. The gas-vapor phase is captured in the extractant 170, 170a when the aerosol passes in the form of bubbles through the microimpingers 160, 160a. The mixture of solutions from the two microimpingers is isolated as a gas-vapor phase solution 180 captured by the microimpingers in step 181.

CFP and the microimpinger-trapped gas-vapor phase solution 180 are mixed in a clean Pyrex® tube in step 190. In step 200, all particulate material is extracted from the CFP using the microimpinger-trapped gas-vapor phase solution 180 (which contains methanol as a solvent) by vigorous shaking (disintegrating the CFP), vigorous mixing for 5 minutes and finally centrifugation (4500 G, 5 minutes, 10ºC). Aliquots (300 µl) of the recovered bulk aerosol extract 220 were transferred to silanized chromatography vials and diluted with methanol (700 µl) since the extractant 170, 170a already contained the internal standard solution (ISTD). The vials were capped and their contents were mixed for 5 min using an Eppendorf Thermomixer (5°C; 2000 rpm).

Aliquots (1.5 µl) of diluted extracts were injected and analyzed by LC-HRAM-MS in both full scan and data-dependent fragmentation modes to identify compounds.

When analyzed by GCxGC-TOFMS:

As described above, when preparing samples for GCxGC-TOFMS experiments, different solvents are suitable for the extraction and analysis of polar compounds, non-polar compounds, and volatile compounds isolated from the bulk aerosol. The experimental setup is identical to that described for collecting samples for LC-HRAM-MS, except as noted below.

Non-polar and polar components

Extraction agent 171,171a is present in a volume of 10 ml and is a mixture of 80:20 v/v dichloromethane and methanol, also containing compounds representing a retention-index marker (RIM) and stable isotopically labeled internal standards (ISTD). Each of the cold baths 162, 162a contains a mixture of dry ice and isopropanol to maintain each of the microimpingers 160, 160a at a temperature of approximately -78 °C. The gas-vapor phase is captured in the extraction agent 171, 171a when the aerosol passes in the form of bubbles through the microimpingers 160, 160a. The mixture of solutions from the two microimpingers is isolated as the microimpinger-captured gas-vapor phase solution 210 at step 182.

The non-polar components of the CFP and the microimpinger-captured vapor phase solution 210 are mixed in a clean Pyrex® tube in step 190. In step 200, all particulate material is extracted from the CFP using the microimpinger-captured vapor phase solution 210 (which contains dichloromethane and methanol as a solvent) by vigorous shaking (to disintegrate the CFP), vigorous mixing for 5 minutes, and finally centrifugation (4500 G, 5 minutes, 10ºC) to isolate the polar and non-polar components of the combined aerosol extract 230.

In step 250, a 10 ml aliquot 240 of the total aerosol extract 230 was taken. In step 260, a 10 ml aliquot of water was added and the entire sample was vortexed and centrifuged. The non-polar fraction 270 was separated, dried over sodium sulfate and analyzed by GCxGC-TOFMS in full scan mode.

Polar components

ISTD and RIM compounds were added to the polar fraction 280, which was then directly analyzed by GCxGC-TOFMS in full scan mode.

Each smoking replicate (n=3) contains accumulated, captured and recovered non-polar fraction 270 and polar fraction 280 for each sample.

Volatile components

The total aerosol was captured using two microimpingers 160, 160a arranged in series. In each microimpinger 160, 160a, an extractant 172, 172a is present in a volume of 10 ml, which in this case is N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) containing compounds that are a retention index marker (RIM) and a stable isotopically labeled internal standard (ISTD). Each of the cold baths 161, 161a contains a mixture of dry ice and isopropyl ether to maintain each of the microimpingers 160, 160a at a temperature of approximately -60 °C. The vapor-gas phase is captured in the extraction solution 170, 170a when the aerosol passes as bubbles through the microimpingers 160, 160a. The mixture of solutions from the two microimpingers is isolated as the volatiles-containing phase 211 in step 183. The volatiles-containing phase 211 is analyzed separately from the other phases and injected directly into the GCxGC-TOFMS method using cold on-column injection without further preparation.

Table 3 below shows the levels of characteristic compounds from rosemary particles in an aerosol generated from an aerosol-generating article according to the present invention, which includes an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material including rosemary particles.

Table 3. Content of characteristic compounds in aerosol

Compound Minimum amount
(micrograms per gram of substrate) Maximum amount
(micrograms per gram of substrate) Betulinic acid 30 1500 Rosmaridiphenol 1 100 12-O-methylcarnosol 1 100

For example, in the aerosol generated from sample B, the measurement showed relatively high levels of the characteristic compound. The ratio of betulinic acid to rosmaridiphenol was typically greater than 20 to 1. Therefore, the levels of the characteristic compound indicated the presence of rosemary particles in the sample. In contrast, in the case of tobacco-only sample A, which contained essentially no rosemary particles, the levels of the characteristic compound were found to be equal to or close to zero.

Claims (36)

1. An aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material containing from 1 to 25% by weight of rosemary particles, from 5 to 30% by weight of an aerosol-forming substance, and from 1 to 10% by weight of a binder, calculated on a dry weight basis. 2. The article according to item 1, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate comprises: at least 50 µg betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 20 μg rosmarindiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis and at least 0.3 μg 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. 3. The article according to claim 2, wherein the amount of betulinic acid per gram of substrate is at least 5 times greater than the amount of rosemary diphenol per gram of substrate. 4. An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate contains more than 0.5% by weight of 1,8-cineole. 5. An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein heating of the aerosol-generating substrate according to test method A described in ISO/TR 19478-1:2014 generates an aerosol comprising: at least 30 µg betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 1 μg rosmarindiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis and at least 1 μg 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. 6. The article according to claim 5, wherein the amount of betulinic acid per gram of substrate is at least 5 times greater than the amount of rosmarindiphenol per gram of substrate. 7. An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the homogenized plant material further comprises at least 40% by weight of tobacco particles, calculated on a dry weight basis. 8. The article of claim 7, wherein the homogenized rosemary material contains from 5 to 20% by weight of rosemary particles and from 55 to 70% by weight of tobacco particles, calculated on a dry weight basis. 9. An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aerosol generating substrate comprises one or more sheets of homogenized rosemary material, each of which individually has one or more of the following: thickness from 100 to 600 microns or grammage from 100 to 300 g/ ^m2 . 10. An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the homogenized rosemary material is present in the form of a cast sheet. 11. An article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, when the aerosol-generating substrate is heated according to test method A described in ISO/TR 19478-1:2014, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating substrate comprises: betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 mcg per puff of aerosol; rosmaridiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 μg per puff of aerosol and 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 μg per puff of aerosol, wherein the puff of aerosol has a volume of 55 ml when generated by a smoking machine. 12. An aerosol generating substrate obtained from homogenized rosemary material containing from 1 to 25% by weight of rosemary particles, from 5 to 30% by weight of an aerosol forming agent, and from 1 to 10% by weight of a binder. 13. The substrate of claim 12, wherein the aerosol-generating substrate comprises: at least 30 µg betulinic acid per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis; at least 1 μg rosmarindiphenol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis and at least 1 μg 12-O-methylcarnosol per gram of substrate on a dry weight basis. 14. An aerosol generating system comprising: an aerosol generating device comprising a heating element; and an aerosol generating article according to any one of paragraphs 1-11. 15. An aerosol obtained by heating an aerosol-generating substrate according to paragraph 12 and containing: betulinic acid in an amount of at least 0.5 micrograms per puff of aerosol; rosmaridiphenol in an amount of at least 0.01 μg per puff of aerosol and 12-O-methylcarnosol in an amount of at least 0.01 μg per puff of aerosol, Moreover, the puff of aerosol has a volume of 55 ml when it is generated by a smoking machine.