Effects of a carboxymethyl fenugreek polysaccharide/sodium carboxymethyl cellulose composite binder on the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of reconstituted tobacco leaves.

Reconstituted tobacco leaves (RTLs) are widely used in heat-not-burn products, but single-component binders can limit their sheet integrity and sensory quality. Here, carboxymethyl fenugreek polysaccharide (CFP) was blended with sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) at CFP : CMC mass ratios of 0 : 10, 1 : 9, 3 : 7, 5 : 5 and 10 : 0 and evaluated in thick-slurry RTLs. The viscosity, FT-IR spectra, moisture behaviour, contact angle, SEM morphology, tensile and tear properties, thermal behaviour, pyrolysis products, smoke volume and sensory quality were analyzed. The 5 : 5 blend showed the highest adhesive viscosity (912 cP at 1 wt% and 25 °C). Relative to CMC alone, the 5 : 5 blend increased the tensile strength by 11.9%, tear index by 8.74% and bulk specific volume by 9.93%, while the softness value decreased by 26.45% and the sensory score increased from 71.0 to 77.2. Contact angle and moisture measurements indicated reduced hygroscopicity and improved moisture retention. TGA showed comparable thermal degradation profiles, while Py-GC/MS detected 85 products for the 5 : 5 blend compared with 48 for CMC alone. The smoke volume changed only modestly across the puff sequence. These results support CFP/CMC blending as a promising formulation strategy for improving the physical and sensory performance of thick-slurry RTLs.