Background: Recently, products with antibacterial properties derived from medicinal plants have increased as an alternative to conventional drugs. Thus, this study aimed to formulate and evaluate the antibacterial activity of an experimental gel based on Grindelia tarapacana essential oil in a bacterial consortium.Material and Methods: The composition of the essential oil (EO) was determined using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The antibacterial activity of the EO against Streptococcus mutans ATCC 25175, Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556, and Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 13419 was evaluated using an Agar disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration methods. Five formulations of the experimental gel were prepared at 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% (v/v). The antibacterial susceptibility test was evaluated using an Agar‐Well diffusion assay against a bacterial consortium of S. mutans, S. sanguinis, and S. salivarius. The physical properties, pH, spreadability, gel morphology, phase separation, and drug release were evaluated. The experimental gels were compared with a chlorhexidine gel. Data were analyzed with one‐way ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests with a significant level of 5%.Results: The major components of the EO were bornyl acetate, α‐isomethyl‐E‐nerolidol, germacrene B, E‐nerolidol, α‐cedrene‐epoxide, fokienol, and 10‐epi‐γ‐eudesmol. All formulations were effective in inhibiting bacterial growth. The 2% concentration presented inhibition zones (18.14 ± 1.01 mm) similar to those observed for the chlorhexidine gel (p > 0.05). All formulations were stable, without signs of separation, with adequate physical properties, and no significant differences were observed regarding the drug content with the chlorhexidine gel (p > 0.05).Conclusions: The experimental gels based on G. tarapacana EO presented good physicochemical properties and were highly effective in inhibiting the growth of a cariogenic bacterial consortium.

Bioleaching represents a sustainable and economically viable method for recovering metals from sulfide ores. This study evaluates the bioleaching potential of eight native mesophilic strains isolated from chalcopyrite ore sourced from the Toquepala mine in Peru. The strains were molecularly and phylogenetically identified as Leptospirillum ferriphilum based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bioleaching process was evaluated over 648 h in triplicate flask assays at 30 °C and 120 rpm. All strains demonstrated leaching activity, achieving an average copper recovery above 30%. Notably, strains M1D and M3E demonstrated superior performance, with iron oxidation reaching approximately 50%, copper recoveries of 34.78% and 32.61%, respectively, and peak cell counts of up to 2.45 × 10⁹ cells/mL. Specific growth rates were determined as 0.03469 h⁻¹ for M1D and 0.03651 h⁻¹ for M3E. A positive correlation was observed among microbial growth, iron oxidation, and copper recovery. These results confirm the potential of native mesophilic L. ferriphilum strains as efficient agents for chalcopyrite bioleaching at moderate temperatures, supporting their application in biotechnological metal recovery processes.