Table 1

Faecal bifidobacteria and total anaerobe counts (m ± SEM, log cfu/g) in 40 healthy volunteers assigned to a 7-d consumption of short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) at a dose from 2.5 to 10 g/d or a placebo

scFOS dose (g/d)

Total anaerobes

Bifidobacteria

d8*

d15*

Δd15-d8

P**

d8*

d15*

Δ d15-d8

P**

0 (placebo)

12.59 ± 0.17

12.54 ± 0.12

- 0.05 ± 0.16

***

10.06 ± 0.29

9.57 ± 0.21

- 0.49 ± 0.23

***

2.5

12.32 ± 0.21

12.55 ± 0.14

+ 0.22 ± 0.19

0.29

9.15 ± 0.59

9.39 ± 0.70

+ 0.24 ± 0.16

0.02

5.0

12.48 ± 0.18

12.66 ± 0.14

+ 0.17 ± 0.28

0.51

10.21 ± 0.21

10.67 ± 0.22

+ 0.46 ± 0.31

0.03

7.5

12.45 ± 0.16

12.55 ± 0.13

+ 0.09 ± 0.06

0.42

9.28 ± 0.49

9.85 ± 0.35

+ 0.57 ± 0.25

0.01

10

11.65 ± 0.37

12.68 ± 0.14

+ 1.04 ± 0.41

0.03

9.00 ± 0.81

10.18 ± 0.60

+ 1.18 ± 0.42

0.003

*days 1–8 was a run-in period during which no treatment occurred, but subjects excluded from their diet fermented dairy products containing viable bifidobacteria and limited consumption of food products containing high level of non-digestible oligosaccharides.

** Statistical analyses were performed versus placebo, on the difference d15-d8, using an unpaired t-test

*** As the difference days 15-8 with placebo was the reference, p-values are not reported.

Bouhnik et al. Nutrition Journal 2006 5:8   doi:10.1186/1475-2891-5-8