Bacillus cereus strain F, collected from relict permafrost located in Siberia, was analyzed for probiotic activity in the mouse Salmonella enterica model. Viable bacterial cells were found in frozen soils taken at Mammoth Mountain in Yakutia from a depth below the level of seasonal thawing. Geological data indicated the absence of a thawing within millions of years of deposited soils, which helped to ensure the ancient origin of our sample. According to DNA analysis, bacterial cells collected from the relict permafrost appeared to be B. cereus strain F. The morphology of these bacteria was analyzed using atomic force microscopy. B. cereus strain F was assessed as a nonpathogenic bacterium by evaluation of its pathogenicity. A S. enterica model is described in mice after per oral inoculation and serves as a model for the human carrier state. Using this model, probiotic activity by the bacterial strain isolated from the ancient permafrost has been shown against Salmonella infection in mice.
Keywords: Ancient permafrost; Bacillus cereus; Mouse model; Probiotic activity; Salmonella infection.