Effect of composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis

Table 1 Baseline characteristics and symptom scores (mean ± SD)

	Test group (n = 58)	Control group (n = 59)	P value
Age (yr)	37.43 ± 10.27	34.24 ± 8.67	0.720
Male:female n (%)	17 (29.3):41 (70.7)	18 (30.5):41 (69.5)	0.887
BMI (kg/m2)	21.96 ± 3.01	21.28 ± 2.50	0.184
Subtype of IBS n (%)			0.919
Constipation	19 (32.8)	22 (37.3)
Diarrhea	19 (32.8)	16 (27.1)
Mixed	5 (8.6)	5 (8.5)
Unsubtyped	15 (25.9)	16 (27.1)
Abdominal symptoms
Abdominal pain or discomfort (VAS)	34.05 ± 18.55	33.05 ± 19.94	0.779
Frequency of abdominal pain or discomfort/d	1.73 ± 2.03	1.21 ± 1.17	0.089
Abdominal distension or bloating (VAS)	44.40 ± 21.99	39.83 ± 20.82	0.281
Flatulence/d	5.19 ± 4.01	4.98 ± 2.88	0.749
Bowel habit
Defecation frequency/wk	6.38 ± 5.98	5.69 ± 3.87	0.458
Defecation duration (min)	8.68 ± 6.35	8.85 ± 5.59	0.881
Urgency n (%)	23 (39.7)	22 (37.3)	0.792
Straining n (%)	39 (67.2)	37 (62.7)	0.608
Feeling of incomplete defecation n (%)	39 (67.2)	44 (74.6)	0.382
Stool consistency (BSS)	3.95 ± 1.64	3.54 ± 1.59	0.159
Bowel habit satisfaction (VAS)	32.33 ± 17.53	31.95 ± 18.22	0.909
Discomfort related to daily life (VAS)	36.21 ± 22.54	30.93 ± 17.58	0.160

BMI: Body mass index; IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; VAS: Visual analog scale; BSS: Bristol stool scale.

Table 2 Study parameters at week 8 and changes from baseline in all patients (mean ± SD)

	Test group (n = 58)				Control group (n = 59)				P value1
	Baseline	wk 8	Δ wk 8	P value	Baseline	wk 8	Δ wk 8	P value
Abdominal symptoms
Abdominal pain or discomfort (VAS)	34.05 ± 18.55	12.93 ± 14.99	-21.12	0	33.05 ± 19.94	16.5 ± 17.7	-16.53	< 0.001	0.26
Frequency of abdominal pain or discomfort/d	1.73 ± 2.03	0.84 ± 0.83	-0.89	0.004	1.21 ± 1.17	0.7 ± 0.8	-0.48	0.001	0.214
Abdominal distension or bloating (VAS)	44.40 ± 21.99	25.86 ± 18.1	-18.53	0	39.83 ± 20.82	28.8 ± 21.2	-11.02	< 0.001	0.096
Flatulence/d	5.19 ± 4.01	5.69 ± 5.08	0.5	0.391	4.98 ± 2.88	5.5 ± 4.0	0.51	0.266	0.991
Bowel habits
Defecation frequency/wk	6.38 ± 5.98	7.23 ± 4.28	0.85	0.289	5.69 ± 3.87	6.7 ± 4.2	1.04	0.052	0.843
Defecation duration (min)	8.68 ± 6.35	7.47 ± 4.95	-1.22	0.07	8.85 ± 5.59	6.7 ± 3.9	-2.12	< 0.001	0.301
Urgency	23 (39.7%)	16 (27.6%)	-7	0.118	22 (37.3%)	22 (37.3%)	0	1	0.146
Straining	39 (67.2%)	22 (37.9%)	-17	0	37 (62.7%)	20 (33.9%)	-17	0.002	0.959
Feeling of incomplete evacuation	39 (67.2%)	19 (32.8%)	-20	0	44 (74.6%)	23 (39.0%)	-21	< 0.001	0.815
Stool consistency (BSS)	3.95 ± 1.64	3.72 ± 1.02	-0.22	0.274	3.53 ± 1.59	3.88 ± 1.15	0.36	0.047	0.118
Bowel habit satisfaction (VAS)	32.33 ± 17.53	59.48 ± 19.21	27.16	0	31.95 ± 18.22	47.5 ± 20.1	15.51	< 0.001	0.01
Discomfort related to daily life (VAS)	36.21 ± 22.54	21.98 ± 19.91	-14.22	0	30.93 ± 17.58	22.9 ± 17.5	-8.05	0.007	0.199
Improvement in overall IBS symptoms (VAS)		64.2 ± 17.0				50.4 ± 20.5			< 0.001

¹Comparison between both groups. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; VAS: Visual analog scale; BSS: Bristol stool scale.

Table 3 Study parameters at week 8 and changes from baseline in constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients (mean ± SD)

	Test group (n = 19)				Control group (n = 22)				P value1
	Baseline	wk 8	Δ wk 8	P value	Baseline	wk 8	Δ wk 8	P value
Abdominal symptoms
Abdominal pain or discomfort (VAS)	28.95 ± 20.90	9.21 ± 12.39	-19.74	0.001	37.50 ± 25.30	15.91 ± 18.17	-21.59	0.001	0.8
Frequency of abdominal pain of discomfort/d	1.50 ± 1.17	0.89 ± 0.88	-0.61	0.032	1.27 ± 1.56	0.68 ± 0.78	-0.6	0.029	0.979
Abdominal distension or bloating (VAS)	44.74 ± 21.38	25.00 ± 16.67	-19.74	0.007	38.64 ± 22.79	26.14 ± 16.33	-12.5	0.031	0.393
Flatulence/wk	6.05 ± 5.03	6.13 ± 4.35	0.08	0.952	5.52 ± 3.34	6.02 ± 4.95	0.5	0.577	0.785
Bowel habit
Defecation frequency/wk	3.82 ± 2.08	5.61 ± 3.54	1.79	0.002	3.43 ± 1.55	5.39 ± 3.97	1.96	0.032	0.872
Defecation duration (min)	12.26 ± 7.33	9.66 ± 5.28	-2.61	0.106	10.84 ± 6.49	6.59 ± 4.07	-4.25	< 0.001	0.358
Urgency	4 (21.1%)	4 (21.1%)	0	1	3 (13.6%)	6 (27.3%)	3	0.375	0.336
Straining	18 (94.7%)	11 (57.9%)	-7	0.016	18 (81.8%)	12 (54.5%)	-6	0.146	0.321
Feeling of incomplete evacuation	15 (78.9%)	7 (36.8%)	-8	0.021	16 (72.7%)	9 (40.9%)	-7	0.016	0.776
Stool consistency (BSS)	2.26 ± 0.45	3.05 ± 0.85	0.789	0	2.18 ± 0.66	3.27 ± 1.08	1.09	0.001	0.386
Bowel habit satisfaction	30.26 ± 19.68	56.58 ± 20.14	26.32	0	27.27 ± 18.76	44.32 ± 21.73	17.05	0.004	0.21
Discomfort related to daily life (VAS)	34.21 ± 22.38	18.42 ± 16.33	-15.79	0.014	36.36 ± 21.45	27.73 ± 15.25	-13.64	0.015	0.782
Improvement in overall IBS symptoms (VAS)		72.4 ± 18.4				50.0 ± 21.8			< 0.001

¹Comparison between both groups. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; VAS: Visual analog scale; BSS: Bristol stool scale.

Table 4 Study parameters at week 8 and changes from baseline in diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome patients (mean ± SD)

	Test group (n = 19)				Control group (n = 16)				P value1
	Baseline	wk 8	Δ wk 8	P value	Baseline	wk 8	Δ wk 8	P value
Abdominal symptoms
Abdominal pain or discomfort (VAS)	32.89 ± 14.56	9.21 ± 14.93	-23.68	0	29.69 ± 10.08	20.3 ± 18.8	-9.38	0.083	0.05
Frequency of abdominal pain or discomfort/d	2.45 ± 3.18	0.63 ± 0.83	-1.82	0.036	1.25 ± 0.71	0.91 ± 0.94	-0.34	0.245	0.117
Abdominal distension or bloating (VAS)	43.42 ± 23.34	25.00 ± 20.41	-18.42	0.012	35.94 ± 15.73	29.69 ± 20.85	-6.25	0.164	0.146
Flatulence/wk	4.63 ± 2.36	4.08 ± 2.67	-0.55	0.503	4.66 ± 2.15	5.50 ± 3.38	0.84	0.255	0.212
Bowel habit
Defecation frequency/wk	10.55 ± 8.18	8.79 ± 4.46	-1.76	0.381	9.09 ± 4.19	9.09 ± 4.12	0	1	0.451
Defecation duration (min)	6.66 ± 5.57	6.58 ± 4.98	-0.08	0.938	8.00 ± 4.75	7.03 ± 3.81	-0.97	0.3	0.52
Urgency	10 (52.6%)	8 (42.1%)	-2	0.625	12 (75.0%)	11 (68.8%)	-1	1	0.867
Straining	8 (42.1%)	3 (15.8%)	-5	0.063	7 (43.8%)	2 (12.5%)	-5	0.063	0.707
Feeling of incomplete evacuation	13 (68.4%)	6 (31.6%)	-7	0.039	12 (75.0%)	5 (31.3%)	-7	0.016	0.826
Stool consistency (BSS)	5.42 ± 1.17	4.16 ± 0.38	-1.26	0.001	5.50 ± 1.10	4.88 ± 1.09	-0.63	0.036	0.738
Bowel habit satisfaction	31.58 ± 18.34	64.47 ± 19.21	32.9	0	40.63 ± 15.48	48.44 ± 17.00	7.81	0.173	0.006
Discomfort related to daily life (VAS)	36.84 ± 24.11	23.68 ± 25.65	-13.16	0.163	29.69 ± 13.60	28.13 ± 17.97	-1.56	0.751	0.292
Improvement in overall IBS symptoms (VAS)		61.8 ± 17.4				51.6 ± 14.3			0.07

¹Comparison between both groups. IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; VAS: Visual analog scale; BSS: Bristol stool scale.