Fulvic acid exhibits antitumor effects in ovarian cancer cells by upregulating CYP1A1 expression

Humic substances are a mixture of natural organic macromolecular compounds, mainly fulvic acid (FA) (soluble in alkali, water, and acid) and humic acid (soluble in alkali but insoluble in water and acid). However, to the best of our knowledge, its antitumor effect remains indeterminate. Herein, we aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of FA in ovarian cancer cells. SK-OV-3 cells were cultured in a culture medium with or without 100-μg/ml FA for 48 h and harvested for RNA sequencing.