Medicinal plants host a variety of endophytic microbes that hold significant
economic value. The present study is therefore focused on the isolation and identification of bacterial
endophytes from medicinal plants growing in the arid region of Al-Arish (Egypt) and their potential
role as bioinoculants for enhancing the growth of tomato plants. In this study, eight endophytic
bacterial isolates showed direct broad spectrum in vitro antagonism against the tested fungi. On the
basis of antagonism activity, these isolates were studied to identify based on their 16S rRNA gene
sequences, as Lysinibacillus fusiformis, Bacillus pumilus, B. siamensis, Paenibacillus peoriae, Paenib.
Polymyxa, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Brevundimonas diminuta, and Providencia vermicola. The
strains were screened for various plant growth-promoting (PGP) attributes, including indole-3-acetic
acid (IAA), ammonia, siderophores, phosphatase, hydrolytic enzyme production and phosphate
solubilization. Isolated bacterial strains have variable plant growth promoting activities. Two selected
endophytic bacterial strains were assessed for their biological control potential against tomato fungal
root rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani to further evaluate their PGP
abilities under greenhouse conditions. Under greenhouse, B. pumilus NAW4 and P. aeruginosa
NAW6 proved effective in conferring positive benefits to tomatoes placed under stress as well as
under normal growing conditions