The effect of ajwa date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) on serotonin levels in an experimental rat model of fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a disease that has many symptoms and is common in society. It is known that serotonin levels in the blood decrease in fibromyalgia. Ajwa date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is a fruit that is very beneficial to health in terms of many amino acids, vitamins and minerals it contains, and these nutrients are found in different concentrations in the fruit and kernel parts. The vitamin B6 and tryptophan in this date affect the production of serotonin. There are not enough studies in the literature on the effects of ajwa dates on fibromyalgia. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether ajwa dates have an effect on fibromyalgia through serotonin levels. In our study, 2-3 months old, weighing 230 ± 30 gr, 35 female Wistar rats were used. Animals are randomly divided into 5 subgroups; control (K), fibromyalgia (FM), fibromyalgia + ajwa kernel powder (FM + ÇT), fibromyalgia + ajwa fruit (FM + M) and fibromyalgia + ajwa kernel powder and fruit mixture (FM + MIX). A 9-day application was made, including the fibromyalgia creation process. Fibromyalgia was induced by administering reserpine at a dose of 1 ml/kg (216 mg/kg) subcutaneously to rats 1 time a day for 3 days. 24 hours after the last reserpine injection, the paw-withdrawal times of rats in the Control and FM groups were measured on the hot plate device and the decrease in paw-withdrawal time was considered fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia was induced in rats within 3 days, and from the fourth to the ninth day, 0,5 g/kg of ajwa dates were given to rats by gavage. At the end of the study, serotonin levels from serum samples taken from rats were determined by ELISA method and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Holm-Šídák's multiple comparison test were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the serotonin level values of the FM group were statistically lower compared to the Control, FM+M, FM+ÇT and FM+MIX groups (p<0.05). Based on these values, it has been concluded that ajwa date improves fibromyalgia by increasing serotonin levels in the blood. This situation shows that ajwa date may be a natural nutrient that can be used in the treatment of fibromyalgia.