FIG. 1.

Increase with respect to time zero of Bifidobacterium counts measured by quantitative real-time PCR in fecal slurry cultures from three donors using glucose, inulin, or EPS isolated from intestinal bifidobacteria as carbon sources after 24 h (a) and 5 days (b) of incubation. The control does not include carbohydrate source added. Initial Bifidobacterium counts are as follows: 9.56 ± 0.10 log CFU/ml for donor 1 (white bars), 10.61 ± 0.14 log CFU/ml for donor 2 (gray bars), and 9.93 ± 0.08 log CFU/ml for donor 3 (black bars).