Table 1.

Energy intake and energy efficiency

	n-3/+	n-3/+ FOS	n-3/-	n-3/- FOS
Body weight gain (g)	-0.634 ± 0.512	0.443 ± 0.398	1.072 ± 0.157*	1.858 ± 0.197#
Energy intake (kcal)	968.7 ± 63.6	957.6 ± 8.1	885.6 ± 4.4	822.6 ± 14.3
Energy efficiency (g/100 kcal)	0.015 ± 0.114	0.184 ± 0.167	0.484 ± 0.071*	0.900 ± 0.093#

Energy efficiency is calculated as the ratio between body weight gain and caloric intake during the 24 days of treatment.

Data are the mean ± SEM.

*: mean values significantly different from n-3/+ mice (P < 0.05, Student's t-test).

^#: mean values significantly different from n-3/- mice (P < 0.05, Student's t-test).

-3/+: mice fed with a control diet (n = 9), n-3/+ FOS: mice fed a control diet and supplemented with a prebiotic for 24 days (n = 10), n-3/-: mice fed an n-3 PUFA-depleted diet (n = 12), n-3/- FOS: mice fed an n-3 PUFA-depleted diet and supplemented with a prebiotic for 24 days (n = 12).

The results have been partly reported in reference 20.