METHOD FOR PRESERVING REINDEER ANTLERS AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CATCHING BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE VOLATILE COMPOUNDS RELEASED DURING PRESERVATION PROCESS, AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING THE SAME

FIELD: agriculture, in particular, processes for preserving and storing of natural raw materials, more particular, reindeer antlers used in pharmaceutical and food-processing branches of industry for producing of medicinal drugs and biologically active food additives. ^ SUBSTANCE: method involves providing repeated thermal processing of antlers using hot air in chamber and drying, with thermal processing and drying processes using forced air blowing process being carried out simultaneously and successively in continuous mode within chamber at the rate of at least 9-11 m/s while temperature of hot air being maintained in staged manner during 5-7 hours: at first stage within the range of 76-80 C, at second stage within the range of 70-75 C, at third and forth stages within the range of 60-65 C; upon termination of each thermal processing stages, continuing forced air blowing of antlers at each of first, third and forth stages stage within chamber during 10-12 hours; at second stage, terminating thermal processing of antlers with washing out of fat from pores of antler body. Apparatus has metal casing provided with heat-shielding walls and divided by longitudinal wall into two chambers for circular movement of forced air flows, cassettes designed for breaking up of antlers and positioned within said chambers, forced air blowing fan, thermal heating members, automatic temperature sensors, steam feeding duct with nozzles arranged at an angle of 90 deg and designed for uniform distribution of steam within chamber, hermetically closed doors, and catches for biologically active volatile compounds released during preservation process. Apparatus is made mobile and consists of joined modules. Apparatus operates on the principle of return condenser. All processes are carried out in one and the same apparatus. ^ EFFECT: reduced time and intensity of labor consumed for preservation of antlers, and improved quality of ready product. ^ 10 cl, 3 dwg