Table 6. Changes in fecal bifidobacteria in the GCL2505-supplemented (N=69) and placebo (N=68) groups during the treatment period.

		Treatment period								Time × group a
		0 week		4 weeks		8 weeks		12 weeks
		Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI	Mean	95% CI
B. lactis	GCL2505	5.43	5.29, 5.56	8.96##	8.77, 9.16	9.17##	9.02, 9.32	9.33##	9.16, 9.49	<0.001
	Placebo	5.48	5.31, 5.64	5.42	5.28, 5.56	5.37	5.29, 5.45	5.31	5.30, 5.31
Total	GCL2505	9.06	8.79, 9.33	9.60##	9.50, 9.71	9.60##	9.46, 9.74	9.76##	9.63, 9.88	<0.001
bifidobacteria b	Placebo	9.07	8.82, 9.31	9.14	8.89, 9.40	9.13	8.86, 9.41	9.20	8.93, 9.47
Endogenous	GCL2505	9.05	8.77, 9.32	9.08	8.83, 9.33	8.94	8.65, 9.22	9.04	8.76, 9.32	0.271
bifidobacteria c	Placebo	9.04	8.78, 9.29	9.13	8.88, 9.39	9.11	8.83, 9.40	9.19	8.92, 9.47

Values are means and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of common logarithms of the number of bacteria per 1 g feces.

There was a significant difference between the groups, as determined using an unpaired t-test with Bonferroni correction. ^#p<0.05; ^##p<0.01.

^a p-value represented as a group-by-time interaction effect using two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA.

^b Total bifidobacteria are expressed as the sum of the counts of nine species (B. bifidum, B. breve, B. longum, B. adolescentis, B. angulatum, B. catenulatum, B. dentium, B. infantis, and B. lactis).

^c Endogenous bifidobacteria are expressed as the counts of total bifidobacteria excluding B. lactis.