RESUMO Chemical composition and antioxidant and antibacterial activities of clove essential oil (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb)The search for natural antioxidants and antimicrobials has been a major goal of scientific studies. The main objective of this work was to determine the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities and the minimal inhibitory concentration of clove oil obtained by hydrodistillation. GC-MS analysis identified eugenol as major compound of the essential oil. The oil showed antibacterial activity for almost all tested microorganisms. The minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 0.2 mg.mL -1 to 0.6 mg.mL -1 . There was a linear correlation between the antioxidant activity and the essential oil concentration. Results showed the potential of Eugenia caryophyllata essential oil as an alternative for the formulation of new food products.