Microbiome and microbial agents of tobacco aging

[OakBayou]

An interesting and recent study on the microbiome of tobacco during the aging process.

Characterization of the core microbiome in tobacco leaves during aging​

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7066457/#mbo3984-bib-0008

And another 2016 study (abstract only) using a strain of bacteria isolated from tobacco leaf as a microbial aging agent:
Study on improving tobacco quality by using Bacillus siamensis.
https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20163202304

 

[deluxestogie]

Interesting. Both of these studies seem to be about aging flue-cured tobacco. The methodology in the first article (...core microbiome...) does not clearly state the process they call "drying". The second article clearly states that they are working specifically with flue-cured leaf. Not surprisingly, baled, aging leaf supports many microbial organisms acquired from their environment. Some of those named bugs are human pathogens (as is the Pseudomonas living in your sink faucet, and the myriad nasties in your garden dirt).

My impression of the home-grown tobacco that I have personally flue-cured is that it does benefit from some further aging, though my max temp of 165°F spares the secondary oxidase enzyme in the leaf.

Bob