Plastid pigments are important natural products in flue-cured tobacco and there are about two types such as chlorophyll and carotenoid.In green tobacco two major chlorophylls are present: chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b(Fig.1).Four major carotenoids are present: lutein,beta-carotene,violaxanthin and neoxanthin(Fig.5).It is known that carotenoid degradation products such as beta-ionone,damascenone,beta-damascone,2,2,6-trimethylcyclohex-2,4-dione and the megastigmatrienones are important to the aroma of flue-...