Background Reinforcement corrosion and the concrete strength reduction are critical problems that resulted from crack creation in concrete. Very expensive and hazardous technologies based on chemical materials have been provided for repairing the cracks. Recently, crack repair using bio-catalysis precipitating bacteria has been developed as a viable and ecofriendly alternative technique. The main target of this study was to select and identify bacterial isolates with high urease activity to use in filling the cracks by the precipitation of CaCO3. Results Two endospore-forming and alkali-resistant ureolytic bacteria were combined with concrete to tolerate the mechanical stresses generated by mixing. The two isolates designated as (B1 and B2) were selected and identified as Bacillus wiedmannii strain FSL W8-0169 and Bacillus paramycoides strain MCCC 1A04098, respectively, using 16SrDNA gene sequencing. Both bacterial species completely heal cracks in fully destructed concrete and significant enhancement in compressive strength was illustrated. The calcite filling of cracks and CaCO3 crystals that were screened using a scanning electron microscope may explain the crack healing and the enhancement in concrete strength. Conclusions Bacillus wiedmannii strain FSL W8-0169 and Bacillus paramycoides strain MCCC 1A04098 can be inserted with the concrete to improve the compressive strength and the self-healing of cracks. The two ureolytic bacterial strains can be used to protect water buildings from exposure to frequent cracks.

Novel carrier units were evaluated for their bio-healing benefits in our study to increase the efficacy of concrete healing. Bacillus cereus MG708176, an alkali-tolerant, calcite precipitating, endospore-forming strain was added as a bio-healing agent after its immobilization on wood ash units. A spore concentration of [1.3 × 107 spore/cm3] combined with 2.5% w/w urea was added to cement. Beams of 40 × 40 × 160 mm were used and tested for completely damaged mortar specimens after 7, 14, and 28 days of water treatment. Using wood ash bacterial mortars, totally destructed specimens were fully healed in all time intervals. Positive changes in concrete mechanical properties in bacterial wood ash treatment that were 24.7, 18.9, and 28.6% force for compressive, flexural, and tensile strengths more than control. The micro-images of the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed the dense concrete structure via calcite, Bacillafilla, and ettringite formation. Our results have shown improvements in the concrete healing efficiency and the mechanical concrete properties by filling the concrete cracks using a calcite-producing bacterium that is immobilized on wood ash units.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy accounting for 38.8% of all malignancies among Egyptian women. This study aimed to investigate the A. muricata leaves extract and its active fraction in inhibiting cell proliferation in the human MDA-MB-231 cell line as a model of Triple Negative Breast Cancer. MDA-MB-231 cell lines were seeded and maintained in RPMI 1640 culture medium. RNAs were isolated from non-treated MDA-MB-231 and treated cell lines with A. muricata DMSO extract after 72 hrs incubation using TriPure isolation reagent. qRT-PCR was applied to measure the gene expression of P53, and Bcl2 against the β-actin gene as an internal control. Protein analysis of BRCA1, BRCA2, EGFR, p53, Bcl2, Cytochrome C, and Caspase3 gene expression was carried out by ELIZA immunoassay. The level of expression of the pro-apoptotic P53 gene in the treated cell line with A. muricata DMSO extract was overexpressed, indicating its potential efficacy in directing cancer cells toward programmed death. On the other hand, the treated cell line significantly (P = 0.05) showed low expression of BRCA1, BRCA2, and EGFR when compared to the negative control. The present study revealed that A. muricata leaves extract is a promising inhibitor of cell proliferation in the MDA-MB-231 cell line (TNBC), and has efficacy against BRCA1, BRCA2, and EGFR gene expression. Since this plant is widely consumed by humans and is non-toxic, it could be developed quickly for chemoprevention and intervention in breast cancer patients.