Brazilian agricultural production is often threatened by phytopathogenic bacteria, resulting in significant economic losses. Difficult to control and favored by the country’s climatic conditions, bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and soft rot, by Pectobacterium carotovorum, are major diseases that affect a wide range of hosts. As an alternative control strategy, this study was developed to evaluate the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from Elionurus latiflorus (Brazilian lemongrass) and Citrus aurantium (bitter orange). The main components identified were citral (65.38 %) in E. latiflorus and limonene (94.71 %) in C. aurantium. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oils was assessed through disk diffusion assays, using concentrations of 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 μL for E. latiflorus oil and 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, and 30 μL for C. aurantium oil. E. latiflorus oil had strong antimicrobial effects against both bacteria. At 15 μL, inhibition rates reached 86.46 % for R. solanacearum and 88.90 % for P. carotovorum. In contrast, C. aurantiumoil had no inhibitory activity against the tested bacteria. These findings suggest that E. latiflorus essential oil may represent a natural, ecological, and efficient alternative for management of phytopathogenic bacteria.
