Previous reports revealed that DMfree (green tea extract) inhibited expression of the IL-6 gene in Mycobacterium lepraeinfected MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells). This study aimed to measure IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α and PGE2 production in M. leprae-infected MSCs using ELISA. To confirm the effect of DMfree on IL-6 and signal transduction, a western blotting test was performed. DMfree inhibited the expression of IL-6 in the MSCs and the heterodimer of STAT3, which also affects the expression of multiple genes. Though DMfree pre-treatment of control MSCs produced a baseline level of IL-6, it significantly inhibited the production of IL-6 in M. leprae-infected MSCs. There was no significant difference in IL-6 production between 1 and 7 day treatment groups. M. leprae-infected MSCs produced more IL-1β, TNF-α and PGE2, but DMfree could not inhibit their production at a physiological concentration. This is different from other reports that used higher concentration of EGCG treatment, resulting in significant inhibition of the cytokines. The inhibition appears to be related to the concentration of EGCG. These results indicate that DMfree can alleviate inflammation involving IL-6.

This study found antibacterial activity of DMfreeⓇ [green tea extract] on facultative bacteria by direct petri dish method and gene array of obligatory M. leprae infected mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). While DMfree showed DPPH radical scavenging effect and high contents of polyphenol, it did not inhibit growth of facultative bacteria such as E. coli and S. aureus on the petri dish. The result does not exclude a possible antibacterial effect of organic solvent extract of green tea rather than DMfree which comes from the water extract of green tea. Pre-treatment of DMfree appeared to have no effect on copy number of 14 genes compared with control MSC by real-time RT-PCR. However pre-treatment of DMfree on M. leprae infected MSC revealed a significant decrease of anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6), (P<0.038) and sharp downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1). Enhanced expression of VEGFR-1 mRNA was noted in DMfree pretreated M. leprae infected MSC group (P<0.003). These results show that DMfree would stabilize M. leprae infected MSC from further inflammation by down-regulating anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) and pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1β). This is the first report on DMfree inhibition of IL-6 and IL-1β expression in M. leprae infected MSC. Further experiments that detect protein levels of IL-1β and IL-6 may support the result of this gene array.

Though hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) causes a deleterious effect to cells with its reactive oxygen species resulting in cell death, S-allyl cysteine (SAC, a bioactive organosulfur compound of aged garlic extract) has been known to have a cytoprotective effect. Few reported profiles of gene expression of H₂O₂ and SAC treated human cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). This study revealed changes in the profile of twenty-one genes grouped by oxidative stress, antioxidant, cell death, anti-apoptosis and anti-aging by quantitative real time PCR. A concentration of 100μM of SAC or 50μM of H₂O₂ was applied to MSC which show moderate growth and apoptosis pattern. H₂O₂ treatment enhanced expression of eleven genes out of twenty-one genes compared with that of control group, on the contrary SAC suppressed expression of eighteen genes out of twenty-one genes except C ros oncogene. SAC decreased expression of oxidative stress genes such as SOD1, CAT and GPX. These results seemed consistent with reports which elucidated over expression of NF-kB by H2O2, and suppression of it by SAC. This study will confer basic information for further experiments regarding the effects of SAC on gene levels.

The aim of this study was to compare the American, Chinese, and Japanese consumers` usage behavior of marketing communication towards overseas Korean restaurants. The survey included both on and off-line method and self-administered questionnaires were written in three languages- English, Chinese and Japanese. The sample was collected from 5 hub cities for globalization of Korean food- LA, New York, Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai. The most important factor of searching for Korean restaurants-related information was ``the interaction`` and the least one was ``the diversity``. The most commonly informed Korean restaurants-related content through the on and off-line media was ``the general information, such as location, telephone number, and operation hour``. Korean restaurants-related content that the respondents` most interested in was ``the information of menu and price``. Results of this study can expectedly be used from a practical point of view by providing empirical data of foreign consumers for effective marketing communication strategies of overseas Korean restaurants.

This study was carried out to investigate antioxidative properties of various extracts and antibrowning effects of extracts in apple slices were investigated by ΔE value and PPO relative activity. Apples were cut into 1.5 ㎝ thickness and they were dipped in 1% extract solutions(OW: water extracts of onion, OE: 80% EtOH extracts of onion, AW: water extracts of apple, AE: 80% EtOH extracts of apple, MW: water extracts of mandarin orange peel, ME: 80% EtOH extracts of mandarin orange peel) for 1 min. OW showed higher than the other treatments for total phenolic contents(94.35 ㎎/g), PPO inhibition(74.00%). And the highest DPPH free radical scavenging activity(40.27%) measured in ME. ΔE value of apple slices dipped in MW was 2.37 whereas ΔE value of apple slices dipped in AW was 12.12. These results suggest that onion and mandarin orange peel extracts should be a potential source for controlling browning during storage of apple slices.