Abstract
Candida species live as commensal in humans and cause candidiasis in the presence of some predisposing factors. They are the most common among systemic mycosis agents. Currently, existing drugs used in the treatment of Candida infections may develop resistance, especially azole group compounds, and may lead to serious side effects and problems that may occur in therapy. Therefore, alternative natural treatment methods with very low side effects or no side effects should be considered. Propolis is one of the most natural products which has been used as a natural drug in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases for thousands of years. Propolis is a sticky resinous substance collected and deposited by bees from plant buds, leaves, and stems. Propolis has a wide spectrum of biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant. The compounds responsible for the biological activity of propolis are thought to be flavonoids, caffeic acid and esters, phenolic compounds, aromatic acid and esters. In this chapter, I aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of propolis against Candida species. Considering the safety, low cost, and usefulness of propolis, it should be considered as an alternative natural treatment method.