In the process of liquid hot water (LHW) pretreatment, there are numbers of pellets formed on the lignocellulosic surface. The characteristics and effect of pellets on the enzymatic hydrolysis of LHW-treated sugarcane bagasse (SCB) were investigated. After SCB was treated with LHW at 180 degrees C, the pellets deposited on the surface of solid residues were extracted gently with 1% sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. They were composed of 81.0% lignin, 7.0% glucan, and 3.2% xylan. The LHW pretreatment solution (PS) was sprayed to the filter paper, and the pellets were observed on its surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) data showed that lignin was also the main component of the PS pellets. The effect of the pellets on enzymatic hydrolysis was chiefly attributed to the steric hindrance, not the cellulase adsorption. The structural characteristics of LHW-treated SCB might play a more important role in influencing the enzymatic hydrolysis than the pellets. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.