## 1 Introduction  
There has been a growing interest in the consumption of medicinal plants over the last two decades. The application of their extracts and essential oils (EOs) is an exciting trend in the food and pharmaceutical industries, since they are considered a likely source of bioactive natural compounds [1, 2]. One of the many plants used is thyme (_Thymus vulgaris_), an aromatic plant and herb belonging to the family Lamiaceae, with a grassy appearance that grows in many parts of the globe. Thyme is a highly valued medicinal herb that has been used for its therapeutic and culinary applications since ancient times. Known for its antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, thyme has been traditionally used as a supportive treatment for respiratory and gastrointestinal ailments and plays an important role in modern medicine [3]. Thyme is also used for infusions, as a seasoning agent, and as a very valuable meat additive [4, 5, 6]. Bioactive compounds like eugenol, thymol, and carvacrol, which are found in thyme essential oil (EO), have demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. These compounds damage bacterial cell membranes by breaking into their lipids, resulting in cell leakage. Low pH, temperature, and oxygen levels can all help them work more effectively. Furthermore, synergistic effects between EO components such as carvacrol and p-cymeneenhance their antibacterial activity [7]. So far, the application of thyme EO (TEO) in meat products has attracted food processors and consumers mainly due to its antimicrobial and flavouring properties. Ajwain seeds, commonly used as a spice in Indian and Middle Eastern Asian dishes, are small, oval-shaped, and pale brown, with a bitter and spicy taste and aroma like thyme. They have been used as much for cooking as natural medicine, particularly for digestive ailments [8; 9]. The application of ajwain (_Trachyspermun Ammi_ L.) EO (AEO), a prominent fragrant herb belonging to the Apiaceae family, has been employed as a food preservative, antioxidant, flavouring agent, perfumery, and medicine [10]. In meat products, they could be used as a natural preservative and flavouring compound, since they present very similar properties to thyme. There are some studies in meat using ajwain as a spice. One study tested different food preservative formulations to produce various shelf-stable and intermediate moisture meat products with hurdle technology [11]. One was a mix of spices, including ajwain seeds, to prepare shelf-stable buffalo meat chunks. Another recent study investigated the effects of a chitosan coating containing AEO on the shelf life of chicken breasts during refrigerated storage [12]. However, the application of AEO has not been studied in other meat products. Thyme usually contains between 1% and 2.5% EO, which is the cause of a moderate and pleasant aroma and often very marked balsamic and spicy taste [13]. Thymol and its phenol isomer, carvacrol, are frequently the significant components of extracted EO (representing around 30-50%). They are usually accompanied by p-cymene and \(\gamma\)-terpinene; these four monoterenes are often biogenetically associated [14]. In the case of ajwain, studies have reported that the amount of EO extracted from the fruits was from 0.5% to 5%. Four different chemotypes are commonly determined in AEO: thymol, carvacrol, p-cymene, and \(\gamma\)-terpinene. The thymol chemotype could be accountable for 35 to 60% of the AEO. Nevertheless, these chemotypes vary according to different cultivation conditions, time of harvest, different extracting methods, and fruit storage conditions, among others [15]. Also, the main compounds in both EOs are reported as the cause of antioxidant, antimicrobial, fungicidal, antispasmodic, and experotarant health benefits, among others [16].