Torgny Mossing

Extraction of antioxidants from bilberries using solvent extraction and the novel rotating bed reactor (RBR) both with one-phase (ethanol and water) and two-phase (ethanol and water +salt) solvents was studied. Solids, ethanol, and temperature settings in an experimental design were monitored for 1 h. The measured responses were (1) polyphenol concentration, (2) visible-near infrared spectra, and (3) HPLC measurement. The (1) responses were used for making response surfaces in time and the spectra (2) could confirm these results. The HPLC results (3) confirmed the results of 1 and 2 but were found unsuitable for online monitoring. The RBR was better than traditional extraction and 16 min sufficed. The response surfaces showed an optimal concentration of ethanol, temperatures above 50 °C gave the best results, and high loads of solid were beneficial. Two-phase extraction was less efficient. The methodology could be transferred to larger scale extraction systems to improve yield and save on reagents/energy cost.

The rutting behavior of captive reindeer was studied during three rutting seasons. Blood samples from three males were taken for androgen analysis before, during, and afterthe rut. The amount of androgen increased at the end of August to a peak during late September-early October and decreased thereafter. Flehmen, urinating on the hindlegs, and two different low-stretch displays emerged during the prerut period. The preorbital gland enlarged and secretion occurred at the rim of the pocket. A conspicuous breath odor appeared very abruptly during the most intense period of rutting. A few days later a strong odor also appeared in the urine. The urination behavior and the two odors were confined to a brief period during the rut, while other behavior persisted afterwards.

1. Locomotor activity in a group of ten captive reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) was recorded automatically during a 15-month period at the University of Ume\0a, Sweden (63\dg 49\t' N). The records were complemented by observations on activity and rumination in March, June, September and December. Artificial food was provided at lib. 2. Reindeer have a polyphasic activity pattern with bursts occurring during both day and night. The number of activity peaks varies from 4–6 in the winter with 6 h of daylight to 6–9 in the summer with continuous daylight. The increase in the number of activity peaks is brought about by a splitting of the evening activity peak, thereby creating an increasing number of peaks with gradually shorter frequencies. 3. Sunrise and sunset act as \lssetpoints\rs for activity, separating it into a diurnal and a nocturnal phase. Since diurnal activity predominates, the reindeer is essentially a diurnal animal. Increasing daylength causes diurnal activity to increase in a 1:1 fashion while the ratio of night length to nocturnal activity is close to 1:0.5. This causes the total amount of activity over 24 h to change with photoperiod. 4. Food consumption was about 30% lower in winter than in summer and varied in accordance with the changes in the activity pattern 5. The time spent ruminating between meals was longer in winter than in summer, thus the winter activity pattern consisted of relatively few activity periods and long periods of rumination, unlike the summer pattern which was made up of large numbers of activity peaks with a shorter rumination time. 6. Rumination showed a rhythmical pattern within the single resting period. Reindeer were found to perform one to several bouts of rumination, each lasting approximately 50 min. 7. It is concluded that the activity pattern and the amount of activity is regulated mainly by changes in light-dark conditions. Photoperiod is presumed to provide the proximate factor governing the seasonal variations of energy intake in reindeer.