| Summary: | Cannabis sativa is a widely used plant in Colombia with medicinal purposes, for which its flower is used, generating high amounts of waste stems. In this study, Cannabis stems were pretreated with diluted sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide and its effect was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR). Remaining solids were submitted to enzymatic hydrolysis using commercial enzymatic mixtures: Celluclast 1.5 L and Cellic CTec3; production of reducing sugars was followed. Pretreatments removed hemicellulose and lignin, as evidence by the reduction in signals at 1734, 1540 and 1240 cm-1. Increase in cellulose crystallinity was also occasioned. Both pretreatments managed to increase reducing sugars production with the two enzymes used. Although, alkaline pretreatment was much more effective than acid pretreatment and allowed to produce up to 28.59 mg/mL. of reducing sugars with Celluclast 1.5 L and 24.94 mg/mL with Cellic CTec3. Mixing these two enzymes, using them sequentially, or increasing enzyme loading did not have and effect on the reached final concentration of reducing sugars.
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