GC-MS metabolite profiling and antimicrobial activity of <i>Acritopappus confertus</i> essential oil from five different locations in Brazil

<i>Acritopappus confertus</i> is used in traditional communities of the municipalities of Chapada Diamantina (Bahia State, Brazil) to treat infected skin wounds. Despite its medicinal relevance, very few reports investigate its essential oil’s metabolite profile and biological activity. Herein, we assessed the metabolite profile and antimicrobial activity of <i>A. confertus</i> collected at different locations in the Bahia State, Brazil. Twenty-nine compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), mainly mono- and sesquiterpenes. (+)-Junenol was the main compound identified for all specimens (13–52%), and its NMR data is presented in detail. <i>A. confertus</i> essential oils showed promising activity against <i>Candida albicans</i>, <i>Cladosporium cladosporioides</i>, <i>Micrococcus luteus</i>, <i>Microsporum canis</i>, methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>Moniliophtora perniciosa</i>, and <i>Trichophyton rubrum</i>. These results reinforce <i>A. confertus</i> as an important source of bioactive compounds, whereas (+)-junenol could be considered the chemical marker of <i>A. confertus</i> grown at Chapada Diamantina (Bahia State, Brazil).