Enzyme pretreatment of grass lignocellulose for potential high-value co-products and an improved fermentable substrate.

Crops such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), bermudagrass(Cynodon dactylon L.), or napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.)have the capacity to produce large quantities of lignocellulose for biofuel(1). To facilitate use of lignocellulosic material for ethanol, it will be necessaryto determine cost-efficient pretreatments to enhance the conversion tofermentable sugars. The lignified residual products from ethanol productioncould also provide a value-added co-product for industrial feedstocks(e.g., nutritional antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, resins).