Trace mineral and vitamin concentrations in the liver and serum of wild muskoxen from Victoria Island

Selected trace minerals and vitamins were assayed in the liver and serum of 25 wild muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) from Victoria Island, (Nunavut, Canada) in November, 1995. Mean +/- SE liver concentrations in mu mol/kg wet weight were 260 +/- 16 for copper; 1.04 +/- 0.06 for selenium; 11.5 +/- 0.7 for molybdenum and 62.8 +/- 3.3 for vitamin E. Mean +/- SE serum concentrations in mu mol/L were 14.2 +/- 0.3 for copper; 0.75 +/- 0.04 for selenium, 1.53 +/- 0.07 for vitamin A and 5.80 +/- 0.55 for vitamin E. Comparison of liver and serum concentrations of copper, selenium and vitamin E showed that the concentration in one tissue was a relatively poor indicator of the concentration in the other. The copper-molybdenum interaction often seen in domestic species was not observed. In general, the concentrations of metals and vitamins found in muskoxen were comparable to those in other ungulates although serum vitamin E concentrations were about one-fourth of those expected.