Table 3 Faecal bacterial numbers (log ₁₀ cells/g faeces) determined by fluorescent in situ hybridisation for forty volunteers over the trial period during which they were consuming “placebo” or “AXOS” experimental bread products enriched with AXOS (mean values and standard deviations)

9.14

±0.57

9.37

±0.59

^a

9.32

±0.58

^a

9.31

±0.44

^a

9.33

±0.33

^a

9.39

±0.40

^a

9.40

±0.42

^a

9.34

±0.40

^a

8.35

±0.72

8.43

±0.69

8.07

±0.64

8.04

±0.76

^a

8.05

±0.85

^a

8.14

±0.79

8.13

±0.74

8.14

±0.57

7.20

±0.39

7.35

±0.56

7.38

±0.47

^a

7.33

±0.40

7.34

±0.45

7.34

±0.53

7.34

±0.50

^a

7.40

±0.39

^a

8.85

±0.54

8.92

±0.37

8.60

±0.66

8.95

±0.55

^b

8.72

±0.75

8.74

±0.69

9.05

±0.40

^bc

8.69

±0.71

9.73

±0.24

9.80

±0.27

9.79

±0.28

9.84

±0.34

9.87

±0.26

^a

9.88

±0.28

^a

9.79

±0.21

9.87

±0.26

^a

9.96

±0.27

9.87

±0.33

9.91

±0.33

^c

10.07

±0.29

^ab

10.08

±0.29

^{a b}

9.99

±0.33

10.01

±0.34

10.08

±0.32

^a

10.73

±0.22

10.69

±0.22

10.70

±0.25

10.72

±0.20

10.68

±0.22

10.72

±0.18

10.81

±0.21

^b

10.72

±0.25

9.54

±0.32

9.64

±0.44

9.85

±0.46

^ac

10.07

±0.25

^ab

10.11

±0.29

^{a b}

9.91

±0.42

^ac

9.99

±0.34

^abc

10.12

±0.22

^{a b}

9.65

±0.21

9.69

±0.26

9.57

±0.44

9.79

±0.39

^ab

9.67

±0.51

9.74

±0.27

9.73

±0.32

9.61

±0.47

9.57

±0.42

9.48

±0.44

9.53

±0.40

9.65

±0.33

^b

9.52

±0.46

9.50

±0.51

^c

9.56

±0.38

9.67

±0.41

^b