FIGURE 4.

Impact of S. thermophilus LMD-9 on the fermentative profile of the gut microbiota in conventional mice. C57BL/6J mice were inoculated by oral gavage (150 μL of 10⁸ CFU/mL/mouse), five times a week, for 3 weeks, with either S. thermophilus LMD9^Kana (Ino-LMD9^Kana, n = 5) or sterile milk (Ctrl, n = 5). (A) Experimental design; establishment of S. thermophilusLMD-9 in the gastrointestinal tract was monitored by enumeration of the bacterial counts in the feces. (B) Cecal composition of acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and lactate. The number of carbon parts per substrate is indicated for each metabolite. The asterisk indicates a statistical difference compared to Ctrl mice (p < 0.05).