In order to enhance the efficiency of hydrolysate fermentation, several detoxification methods have been employed, including chemical, physical, and biological methods [25]. These methods include neutralization, overliming, use of ion exchange resins, adsorption onto activated charcoal or tin oxides, and treatments with enzymes such as peroxidase and laccase [3, 25]. Since detoxification increases the cost of the pro­cess, it is important to either overcome the need for detoxification steps or develop cheap and efficient detoxification methods. Overliming with CaO or Ca(OH)2 is a classical chemical detoxification method. It efficiently removes furans and phe — nolics with marginal loss of sugars [24]. Organic solvents such as ether or ethyl acetate have also been applied to extract most of the inhibitors, such as phenolics, weak acids, and furans [25].

Activated charcoal treatment is an efficient and economical method of remov­ing phenolic compounds, acetic acid, aromatic compounds, furfural, and HMF by adsorption [25]. Biological detoxification is another method that enhances the fermentability of hydrolysates, substantially eliminating phenolic compounds. An enzymatic method using laccase was developed to eliminate the impurities of phe­nolic monomers and phenolic acids from hemicellulosic hydrolysates of sugarcane bagasse [24].