## 4 Discussion  
### Chemical Composition  
In our study, the resulting humidity content in the honey after treatment with Eos was between 14.94% and 21.93%. Similar studies were conducted by other authors on the harvesting of the thyme nectar by bees [46]. They showed that the matured honey resulting from thyme nectar has a water content of less than 19%. These values resulted either from the maturation of honey, which has a high concentration of metabolites, or the volatile essential oils from thyme can evaporate through the intense ventilation activity performed by bees before capping the cells with honey. European Union Directive (EU) 2001/110/EC, relating to honey [47] and Turkish Food Codex 2005, [48], set limits on the content of impurities present in honey, these being a maximum of 100 mg of impurities per 100 g of honey. Research on the content of impurities in honey produced and consumed in Turkey has been undertaken by [PERSON] et al. (2016) [49], and the results obtained indicated values between 10-95 mg/100 g sample. The  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Harvest** & **Sample** & \begin{tabular}{c} _S. pyyo-_ \\ _genes_ \\ \end{tabular}  & _S. aureus_ & \begin{tabular}{c} _S._ \\ _flexneri_ \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} _P. aeruginosa_ \\ _inosa_ \\ \end{tabular}  & _E. coli_ & \begin{tabular}{c} _S. ty-_ \\ _phurium_ \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} _H. influenzae_ \\ _Tyne B_ \\ \end{tabular}  & \ \begin{tabular}{c} _C. parap-_ \\ _silopsis_ \\ \end{tabular}  & \begin{tabular}{c} _C._ \\ _albicans_ \\ \end{tabular}  \\ \hline B 12.5\% & 0.782 & 0.552 & 0.881 & 1.018 & 1.223 & 0.985 & 0.834 & 0.540 & 0.686 \\ B 25\% & 0.723 & 0.464 & 0.733 &  
average of the impurities in the analyzed samples was 58.5 mg/100 g sample. The results obtained in our study are in line with those obtained by other authors: 0.21-1.19% [50], 0.46% [51], the limits being influenced by the honey source that supplies the nectar. Honey contains different organic acids, as well as aliphatic and aromatic acids. The aromatic acids greatly contribute to the flavor of honey [52]. In the studies carried out by [51], the average value of the acidity of the analyzed honey samples was 2.16 mg/100 g. The mean values for the current study ranged from 2.3 mg/100 g (family of bees fed with sugar syrup and clove essential oil) to 4.8 mg/100 g (family of bees fed only with sugar syrup). The value obtained helps fight free radicals resulting in the fact that honey acid is a compound that has antioxidant properties. Honey acts as a buffer, which means that by adding small amounts of acids and bases, the pH does not change, which prevents chemical processes [53,54]. According to the National Honey Board, the acidity of honey ranges from a pH of about 3.4 to about 6.1, with an average of 3.9. The acidity of any honey is directly related to the floral sources that created it [55]. Our results are in line with those stipulated in EU legislation, the registered values being between 3.42 and 4.03. The sugar content of honey is influenced by the time of collection and storage of honey. It is composed of fructose, glucose, sucrose [56]. [PERSON] et al. (2016) [51] studied the percentage of reducing sugar, the average value of 78.8% was obtained in the samples analyzed in Lagos State, 66.5% in the samples in Osun State and 56.7% in the samples in Oyo State. In general, phenolic constituents are responsible for the antioxidant effects of bee products and belong to two main classes: flavonoids and phenolic acids [57]. The strong antioxidant action of these compounds is well known, as they are able to annihilate free radicals, thus protecting cell membranes against lipid peroxidation. Flavonoids can reduce the cellular level of H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) and NO, this action probably contributing to its anti-inflammatory effects; the antioxidant action is also closely linked to other biological effects, including the chemopre effect [58].