The highest productions
of reducing sugars were achieved at higher temperature
(100 C), obtaining over 82% efficiency in the conversion of
polysaccharides into fermentable sugars. A direct relationship
between experimental variables and production of sugars cannot
be established from the experimental results. The highest amount
of reducing sugars from elephant grass, i.e., 711.2 mg TRS/g biomass,
was obtained under pretreatment conditions of 100 C,
2 h, 1.5 wt.% NaOH and solid to liquid ratio of 1 g of material
per 17.5 g of solution.