*3.3. pH*

Honey has a pH that usually varies between 3.5 and 5.5 and is dependent on the compositions of organic acids, which are chemical components that give the aroma of honey and at the same time protect it against microbiological damage. Therefore, the pH can be considered an indicator of potential microbial growth, as a value of 7.2 to 7.4 is optimal for the development of most microorganisms. The average pH values of the honey samples ranged from 3.91 in the case of thyme honey to a maximum of 4.22 in the case of rape honey (Table 2).

Differences in this parameter were determined by the botanical origin of honey (*p* < 0.05), but not by year (*p* > 0.05). Romanian mint and thyme honey samples had pH values similar to Tunisian mint and thyme honey [36]. In Tunisian mint honey samples, the pH value was 4.11 [36], while in Romanian mint honey, it was 4.20. For thyme honey, the pH value was 3.87 (Tunisian honey) and 3.91 (Romanian honey).

Therefore, a pH between 3.2 and 4.5 was considered acceptable for honey samples [11] and the pH values determined for the studied samples were within this range. The pH of honey is of particular importance during the extraction and storage of honey because of its influence on the texture, stability and storage time [5]. The average pH values of honey samples from Vojvodina (Serbia) ranged between 3.88 (sunflower honey) and 3.99 (acacia honey) [35].



ns not significant (*p* > 0.05), \* *p* < 0.05, \*\* *p* < 0.01, \*\*\* *p* < 0.001, a–d different letters in the same row indicate significant differences between samples (*p* < 0.001) according to the LSD test with α = 0.05. Pfund—color in Pfund scale, EC—electrical conductivity, HMF—5-hydroxymethylfurfural, TPC—total phenolic content, FC—flavonoids content, DPPH—radical scavenging activity.
