Propolis is an extremely safe natural antimicrobial substance that has been reported to have powerful antibacterial efficacy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effects of propolis against Candida albicans (C. albicans). Propolis was collected from the honey bee Apis mellifera. The strain of C. albicans was cultivated overnight in liquid media incubated at 37℃. The antimicrobial activity was investigated using phosphate buffered saline (PBS), 3% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 0.1% chorhexidine (CHX), and propolis extracts (5 μl/ ml, 10 μl/ ml). C. albicans were sensitive to 3% NaOCl, 0.1% CHX, and propolis (5 μl/ ml, 10 μl/ ml) with zones of inhibition of 15, 14.5, 16, and 17 mm, respectively. The CFU of PBS, 3% NaOCl, 0.1% CHX, 5 μl/ ml and 10 μl/ ml of propolis led a 1, 7, 7, 5 and 7-log reduction. Among the groups tested, C. albicans was most sensitive to 10 μl/ ml of propolis, which showed the largest inhibition zones. Therefore, propolis can be a new antimicrobial therapy for oral mucosa disease in traditional medicine.

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