PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION AND THE EFFECT ON BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS OF TOBACCO SAMPLE USED AS STIMULANT

India is the second largest consumer of tobacco globally, and accounts for approximately one-sixth of the worlds’ tobacco related deaths. The tobacco problem in India is peculiar, with the consumption of variety of smokeless and smoking forms. Unlike other members of the Solanaceae family, such as tomato and potato, which have uncontroversial nutritional role, tobacco plant carries in its leaf’s quantities of alkaloids; Nicotine which acts as a stimulant. This present study investigates the physico-chemical and phytochemical parameters, and the biological activity of the stimulating compound present in the North Indian Tobacco product. Analysis was carried out through chromatographic techniques of TLC, GC-MS, UV and IR spectroscopy. The result of the findings shows that tobacco product contains Acetoin, an additive intoxicating compound which has similar effect as Ethanol intoxication with remarkable antioxidant activity. Keyword: Tobacco, Stimulant, TLC, GC-MS, Acetoin, Antioxidant activity.