The inhibitory effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and caffeic acid benzyl ester (CABE) extracted from propolis on esophageal carcinoma Eca109 cells were studied in the present study.Cell viability was measured by SRB assay.Cell apoptosis was tested by DAPI staining and Western blotting.Tumor invasion and migration were studied by Transwell experiment and scratch assay.Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were tested by two different fluorescence probes.The results showed that CAPE and CABE significantly inhibited the proliferation of Eca109 cells,and obviously suppressed migration and invasion of Eca109 cells.Moreover,CAPE and CABE induced apoptosis by up-regulating the levels of Caspase 3 and PARP,and increasing ROS levels and decreasing MMP levels.CAPE and CABE are two promising natural compounds in the treatment of esophageal carcinoma.