In the last few years, several studies both in vitro and in vivo have been carried out on the effects of Brassicaceae on chronic diseases . By using an obese mouse model, a study demonstrated that the exposure of mice to ethanolic extracts from Brassica rapa resulted in the expression of lipolysis-related genes in white adipocytes, in the activation of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and in the induction of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, suggesting that Brassicaceae extracts may be used as safe and effective anti-obesity agents .