Summary.

Propolis is an agglomeration of chemical compounds, a resinous product of the honeybee Apis mellifera vital activity. The bees receive it gathering biologically active substances from flowers of plants, enriching those substances with secretions from their saliva glands. Its structure and yellow-brown color vary depending on latitude, flora, season and the bee type. Propolis from various geographical regions has been studied and as a result it has been determined that its specific biological characteristics correlate with the specificity of the chemical structure. The application of propolis in folk medicine goes back for centuries. In ancient times, it has been empirically determined that propolis has antimicrobial, antiimflammatory and pain relieving effect. During the past years, there have been a lot of publications on its antifungal, antivirus and antioxidant effects. Specifically interesting are the studies concerning antiproliferative, antitumor and immunomodular activity of propolis.