The anti-fatigue effects of the hydro-alcoholic extract of Pistacia vera seeds (pistachios) on male Wistar rats

Background: Oxidative stress and free radicals play a crucial role in muscle fatigue. Pistacia vera (P. vera) contains many antioxidant substances such as coenzyme Q-10, vitamin E and beta-carotene. The current study has been designed to evaluate the effects of P. vera seeds (pistachios) on skeletal muscle fatigue in male Wistar rats. Materials and methods: 50 Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups, including the normal, vehicle and treated groups of pistachio extracts (10, 100, and 1000 mg/kg). Muscle fatigue was induced by treadmills. Animals would run at the speed of 20 m/min on a treadmill until they showed fatigue signs. This protocol was repeated for 10 days. The hydro-alcoholic extracts of pistachios were gavaged 30 minutes before the induction of muscle fatigue every day. On the 11th day, rats were sacrificed and biochemical parameters such as creatine phospho-kinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured in the plasma. Results: The different doses of the pistachio extract led to an increase in the fatigue time on days 2 (100 mg/kg) (p<0.05), 4 (10 and 100 mg/kg) (all p<0.05), 5 (10 and 1000 mg/kg) (all p<0.05), 7 (10 and 1000 mg/kg) (all p<0.05) and 9 (100 mg/kg) (p<0.05). The induction of muscle fatigue led to an increase in the serum activity of CPK, LDH and AST (all p<0.01). The pistachio extract (10 and 100 mg/kg) decreased the serum activities of LDH and AST (all p<0.05). Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it was concluded that pistachios could decrease skeletal muscle fatigue in male Wistar rats.