Analysis of the effects of gamma and beta radiation on amaranth polyminerals and seeds using EPR, TL and germination performance.

Amaranth is a highly nutritive yet unexploited pseudocereal whose behavior under ionizing radiation remains poorly characterized, despite its increasing use in food systems. In this study, amaranth seeds from Tulyehualco, CDMX, were irradiated with 0, 2, 5, 8, and 10 kGy of gamma radiation, and their germination performance was assessed using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). A single-factor design demonstrated that germination is present at doses below 2 kGy. Thermoluminescence analyses were performed on silicate minerals isolated from the seeds. X-ray diffraction (XRD), supported by SEM/EDS characterization, indicated that the mineral fraction is heterogeneous and is composed of several distinct phases. The dominant constituents are feldspar minerals, primarily albite and anorthite, which are accompanied by enstatite as well as an additional hydroxylated silicate phase. SEM/EDS did not show a predominant morphological structure, with multiple phases where EDS identified a composite sample in which feldspars are predominant. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy showed a clear dose-dependent behavior: the cellulose-associated signal continuously increased up to 8 kGy, reaching an intensity about seven times higher than at 2 kGy. In general, the results integrate the radiochemical and physiological responses of Amaranthus hypochondriacus to ionizing radiation, with implications for food irradiation practices and the dosimetric use of seed-derived silicate minerals.