Evaluation of liver injury (Incidence).

<p>Liver specimens were histologically evaluated for the incidence of steatosis, infiltrating inflammatory cells in steatotic and non-steatotic areas, vascular stasis and loss of liver parenchyma. The status of the livers of different groups is expressed as incidence of phenomena.</p>1<p>Cellinfiltration around CV within steatotic areas.</p>2<p>Cellinfiltration elsewhere in the parenchyma.</p><p>Incidence: * denotes P<0.05 compared with the C group.</p

Liver injury group 2B.

<p>Parenchymal loss and haemorrhage in liver from an animal in group 2B.</p

Incidence of translocations and identified isolates from the livers.

<p>Thirty-four isolates were subjected to 16 S rDNA sequencing and the similarity levels for each isolate are shown in the table. Translocation is mentioned as incidence of phenomena/total number of animals. Isolates were received from Rogosa agar/Brain Heart Infusion agar (incubated anaerobically)/Brain Heart Infusion agar (incubated aerobically). Between brackets are species with the same sequence similarity as the before mentioned.</p><p>Incidence: * denotes P<0.05 compared with the C group.</p><p><i>Lactobacillus animalis</i> (<i>L. animalis</i>), <i>Lactobacillus apodemi</i> (<i>L. apodemi</i>), <i>Kocuria rhizophila</i> (<i>K. rhizophila</i>), <i>Lactobacillis frumenti</i> (<i>L. frumenti</i>), <i>Lactobacillus antri</i> (<i>L. antri</i>), <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> (<i>L. gasseri</i>), <i>Micrococcus luteus</i> (<i>M. luteus</i>), <i>Clostridium ramosum</i> (<i>C. ramosum</i>), <i>Staphylococcus warneri</i> (<i>S. warneri</i>), <i>Leifsonia xyli</i> subsp. <i>cynodontis</i> (<i>L. xyli subsp. cynodontis</i>), <i>Enterococcus casseliflavus</i> (<i>E. casseliflavus</i>), <i>Clostridium perfringens</i> (<i>C. perfringens</i>), <i>Paenibacillus lautus</i> (<i>P. lautus</i>), <i>Kocuria rosea</i> (<i>K. rosea</i>), <i>Corynebacterium lipophiloflavum</i> (<i>C. lipophiloflavum</i>), <i>Clostridium subterminale</i> (<i>C. subterminale</i>), <i>Bacillus siralis</i> (<i>B. siralis</i>).</p

Faecal load of lactobacilli.

<p>Viable count of lactobacilli (log CFU/g faecal sample)*P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P≤0.001 compared to group C. A decrease was found in group 2B *** P≤0.001 compared to group C. By the addition of probiotics: 2B group vs 2BP group ***P≤0.001, and B vs BP group *P<0.05.</p

Liver injury group 2BP.

<p>Parenchymal inflammatory infiltration in steatotic areas from an animal in group 2BP.</p

Faecal load of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i>.

<p>Viable count of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> (log CFU/g faecal sample) *P<0.05, **P<0.01, *** P≤0.001 compared to group C. By the addition of probiotics: group C vs group P **P<0.01; group 2B vs group 2BP #P≤0.05; B group vs BP group *P<0.05.</p

Disease activity index.

<p>Disease activity index (DAI) during the 11 cycles of DSS administration. DAI scores are expressed as medians (25 and 75 percentiles). Significant differences are expressed versus the C group. Cycle 1: **P<0.01 for groups 2B, 2BP and B; Cycle 2: **P<0.01 for groups B and BP, *** P<0.001 for groups 2B and 2BP groups; Cycle 3: *P<0.05 for group P, **P<0.001 for group B group, ***P<0.001 for groups 2B, 2BP and BP; Cycle 4: *P<0.05 for group BP, ***P<0.001 for groups 2B and 2BP; Cycle 5: **P<0.01 for group B group, ***P<0.001 for groups 2B, 2BP, and BP; Cycle 6: *P<0.05 for group B, **P<0.01 for group BP,***P<0.001 for groups 2B and BP; Cycle 7: *P<0.05 for group B, **P<0.01 for groups 2B and B, ***P<0.001 for groups 2BP and BP; Cycle 8: *P<0.05 for group BP, **P<0.01 for groups 2B and B, ***P<0.001 for group 2BP; Cycle 9: *P<0.05 for groups 2B, 2BP, B, BP; Cycle 10, *P<0.05 for group B, **P<0.01 for groups 2B and 2BP; Cycle 11: *P<0.05 for groups 2B, 2BP, B, BP.</p

SCFAs in colon content and blood samples.

<p>Proportions (%) of acetic-, propionic- and butyric acids in the hindgut and blood of rats given diets supplemented with different amounts of blueberry husks (2B = 122 g blueberry/kg dwb and B = 61 g blueberry/kg dwb) and/or probiotics (P; 6⋅10⁹ CFU per day).</p><p>Probiotics: <i>Bifidobacterium infantis</i> (CURE21), <i>Lactobacillus gasseri</i> VPG44, and <i>Lactobacillus plantarum</i> (HEAL19).</p><p>Mean values for eight rats per group, B group (n = 6).</p><p>Mean values of C, 2B and B only, i.e. those without any added probiotics, with unlike superscript letters were significantly different (P<0.05).</p><p>Mean values were significantly different from those rats fed diets without bacteria: *P<0.05, ** P<0.01, *** P<0.001.</p>1<p>2B (n = 7), B and BP (n = 6).</p

Concentrations of haptoglobin.

<p>Haptoglobin concentrations (mg/ml) in blood during the 11 cycles of DSS administration. Concentrations are expressed as medians (25 and 75 percentiles). Significant differences are expressed versus the C group. Base line: *P<0.05 for group B, **P≤0.01 for group 2B group, ***P<0.001 for group 2BP. DSS cycle 1: *P<0.05 for group BP. DSS cycle 5: *P<0.05 for group 2B. DSS cycle 10: *P<0.05 for group 2B. Pure water cycle (W1): **P<0.01 for group B; Water cycle 5 (W5) *P<0.05 for group 2B group.</p

Liver injury group P.

<p>Hepatocytes showing displaced nucleus to the periphery, known as ballooning in an animal from group P.</p