Beef, along with poultry, is among the most consumed meats in the United States. However, excessive consumption poses health risks, prompting exploration of alternatives like plant-based options. Heme, produced by Corynebacterium glutamicum, is a potential key additive mimicking beef's flavor. In order to extrapolate the potential of hSCP as a dietary supplement, the influence of hSCP on the growth and virulence of foodborne pathogens was investigated, using Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Tm) and E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC). Supplementation with hSCP increased the growth of both species but decreased their motility and biofilm formation ability, two primary virulence determinants implicated in colonization during infection. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the genes required for motility and biofilm formation were accordantly downregulated by hSCP in both strains. Besides, hSCP caused transcriptional decreases in genes associated with Salmonella pathogenicity islands in S. Tm and the locus of enterocyte effacement pathogenicity in EHEC. Collectively, these findings underscore the advantageous impact of dietary hSCP on controlling the virulence of foodborne pathogens such as S. Tm and EHEC. Key words: virulence, biofilm formation, heme-enriched Corynebacterium extract
