Brassicaceae

Brassicaceae is a medium-sized and economically important family of flowering plants(order Brassicales), composed of 338 genera and some 3,700 species. Several species, which belong to the Brassicaceae family, represent an important part of the human diet worldwide; indeed, when regularly consumed, they have been found to exert health-promoting effects, such as a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases and several types of cancer. These effects have been linked to the presence in these plants of phenolics, glucosinolates, carotenoids, tocopherols, and ascorbic acid, well-known antioxidants. In particular, broccoli, white cabbage, and cauliflower are rich in glucosinolates, and, more in detail, in glucoraphanin, a molecule that is transformed by myrosinase into sulforaphane, that is a compound endowed with anticarcinogenic properties.