Table 2.

Effect of dietary fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), inulin, and calcium on faecal bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and enterobacteria before infection‡

	Bifidobacteria (No (log 10/g wet faeces))	Lactobacilli	Enterobacteria
		CFU (log 10/g wet faeces)
Low calcium
Control	9.5 (0.1)	5.1 (0.4)	7.6 (0.1)
Inulin	9.8 (0.1)	6.6 (0.4)*	8.8 (0.1)*
FOS	9.9 (0.2)	7.1 (0.4)*	9.0 (0.1)*
High calcium
Control	8.9 (0.1)†	6.7 (0.2)†	7.4 (0.2)
Inulin	10.1 (0.1)	7.5 (0.5)†	7.7 (0.3)†
FOS	10.2 (0.1)	7.9 (0.2)	7.7 (0.2)†

‡Bifidobacteria were specifically quantified by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Lactobacilli and enterobacteria were quantified by standard culturing on appropriate agar plates.

Results are expressed as mean (SEM) (n = 7 in the high calcium FOS group and n = 8 in the other diet groups).

*Significantly different from the low calcium/control group (p<0.05); †significantly different from its low calcium counterpart (p<0.05).

CFU, colony forming units.