## Materials and Methods
### Honey Samples
#### 2.1.2 Determination of Physicochemical Parameters (All the Analyses Were Done in Triplicate)  
_pH_: 10 g of each honey sample were diluted in 75 mL in CO\({}_{2}\) -free distilled water for measuring the pH value by the aid of a portable pH-meter (Sentron (1001) [39]. The pH-meter was calibrated by two standard recognition buffers before the analysis; pH 4 and pH 10 (as specified by the manufacturer) and each measurement was carried out in triplicate.  
_Determination of \(H_{2}O_{2}\) content_: H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) content in honey samples was determined by using the Megazyme GOX assay kit (Megazyme International Ireland Ltd., Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland), which is based on H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) release, after glucose oxidase catalysis of the oxidation of \(\beta\)-D-glucose to D-glucone-\(\delta\)-lactone [40; 41; 42]. As a standard, H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) diluted to 9.8-312.5 \(\upmu\)M was used. Other studies reported that the maximum levels of accumulated H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) that occurred in honey solutions were found in solutions diluted to concentrations between 30 and 50% [31], hence 40% (\(w/w\)) honey solutions in 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) were prepared and immediately measured for their H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) content. Each honey sample as well as every H\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{2}\) standard were tested in triplicate in a 96-well microplate. The absorbance of the reaction was then measured at 510 nm using a microplate reader [43].  
_Determination of free, lactonic, and total acidity:_ The free, lactonic, and total acidity were determined by equivalence point titration according to AOC, 1990 [44; 45] and the results are expressed as \(\text{meq}/\text{kg}\).  
_Determination of Total Phenolic Content (TPC)_: The TPC of the honey samples was measured in accordance with the Folin-Ciocalteu method, with a minor modification [20; 46; 47]. First, 20 \(\upmu\)L volume of the sample was added to a tube containing 1 mL of ultrapure water. Subsequently, 100 \(\upmu\)L of Folin-Ciocalteu reagent was added to the mixture, and the tube was stoppered and allowed to stand at room temperature for 3 min. Thereafter, 280 \(\upmu\)L of 25% \(w/v\) sodium carbonate solution and 600 \(\upmu\)L of ultrapure water were added to the mixture. Following 1 h of incubation at room temperature in the dark, the absorbance was measured at 765 nm versus a blank containing Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and ultrapure water and the measurement of absorbance was conducted. The optical density of the sample (20 \(\upmu\)L) in 25% \(w/v\) solution of sodium carbonate (280 \(\upmu\)L) and ultrapure water (1.7 mL) at 765 nm was also measured. The TPC was determined using a standard curve of absorbance values correlated with standard concentrations (50-1500 \(\upmu\)g/mL) of gallic acid. The results are expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAEs) using the standard curve (absorbance versus concentration) prepared from authentic gallic acid and the TPC was expressed in mg of gallic acid equivalents (mg GAE/100 g of honey).  
_Determination of Flavonoids_: The total flavonoid content (TFC) of honey samples was determined by the aluminum chloride method [48]. Subsequently, 1 mL of a honey solution (1 mg/mL) was mixed with 0.3 mL NaNO\({}_{2}\) (5%). After 5 min a solution of 0.3 mL AlCl\({}_{3}\) (10%) was added and six minutes later the tested honey samples were neutralized with a 2 mL of NaOH solution (1 M). The mixture was shaken, and the absorbance was measured for all samples at 510 nm using a spectrophotometer. Quercetin (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA), which is having a moderate absorbance, was used as the standard and a calibration curve was made using a standard solution of quercetin 20-100 mg/L. The results were expressed in mg for Quercetin Equivalents (CE)/100 g of honey, as the average of triplicate measurements [49].