Abstract
Honey, a natural product with effective medicinal properties and exceptional energy content, holds a significant place in the hearts of consumers. This study evaluated the pH, free acidity, conductivity, sugar composition, and total antioxidant content of eight types of rare honey produced in Oman. Additionally, well-known types of honey such as Sidr and Sumur, along with some commercial honey samples, were studied for comparison purposes. A simple and innovative paper-based analytical device, recently developed by our group, was applied as an appropriate alternative to time-consuming chromatography-based methods. The findings revealed a low sugar content in a type of honey called “Aitman” (30.4 ± 1.0%), while other rare types of honey showed sugar content within the normal range (45–75%). Additionally, fructose was identified as the primary carbohydrate in almost all samples, followed by glucose. The free acidity of the samples was comparable to Sidr and commercial honey samples but was lower than that of Sumur honey. Interestingly, the total antioxidant content of native rare honey (116.9–325.4 meq gallic acid/Kg) was substantially higher than that of all other analyzed varieties (101.5–196.6 meq gallic acid/Kg). These findings provide valuable insights into enhancing the quality of Omani honey. By guiding the industry to produce premium-quality honey, this research can improve the domestic and international standing of Omani honey. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the evaluation of these rare types of honey produced in Oman.