The chemical composition and antibacterial activity of essential oils obtained from fresh and dried leaves of Myrcia alagoensis O. Berg, collected in a secondary forest remnant in north-eastern Brazil, was compared. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh and dried leaves, and analysed by GC/FID and GC/MS. The antimicrobial properties of the oils were investigated against five bacteria by determination of the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). The essential oils were rich in cyclic sesquiterpenes, such as germacrene B, with antibiotic action against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The drying process after collection interfered with the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the assessed samples.