Ramesh et al (2010) [25] studied lantana camara
(red sage) contains 61.1% (w/w) holocellulose and
can serve as a low-cost feedstock for bioethanol
production. Acid hydrolysis (3.0%, v/v H2SO4,
120°C for 45 min) of L. camara produced 187.14
mg/g total sugars along with fermentation
inhibitors such as phenolics (8.2 mg/g), furfurals
(5.1 mg/g) and hydroxyl methyl furfurals (6.7
mg/g). Sequential application of over liming (pH
10.0) and activated charcoal (1.5%, w/v)
adsorption was used to remove these toxic
compounds from the acid hydrolysate. The acid-
pretreated biomass of L. camara was further
delignified through combined pretreatment of
sodium sulphite (5.0% w/v) and sodium chlorite
(3.0% w/v), which resulted in about 87.2% lignin
removal. The enzymatic hydrolysis of delignified
cellulosic substrate showed 80.0% saccharification
after 28 h incubation at 50°C and pH 5.0.
Fermentation of acid and enzymatic hydro lysates
with Pichia stipitis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae
gave rise to 5.16 and 17.7 g/L of ethanol with
corresponding yields of 0.32 and 0.48 g/g after 24
and 16 h, respectively.