Essential oils (EO) from leaves and branches of Nectandra puberda Schott (Nees) and from leaves of N. cuspidata Nees & Mart. were obtained by hydrodistillation and their chemical compositions determined by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main compounds identified from N. puberula EO were apiole (22.2%), β-caryophyllene (15.1%), β-pinene (13.3%), germacrene D (8.3%), pogostol (6.6%) and bicyclogermacrene (6.4%) in the leaves; and apiole (28.1%), pogostol (19.8%) and guaiol (11.2%) in the branches. The EQ of N. cuspidata leaves showed β-caryophyllene (26.9%), bicyclogermacrene (16.0%) and spathulenol (5.2%) as the main compounds. The EOs were subjected to antibacterial screening and displayed promising activity against Escherichia coli (MIC = 19.5 μg.mL⁻¹). In addition, the EOs were tested for cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast tumor cells and the IC₅₀ values were 64.5 ± 1.6 and 117.1 ± 11.9 μg.mL⁻¹ for the leaf EOs of N. puberula and N. cuspidata, respectively.