BACKGROUND: Acacia dealbata wood samples were subjected to hydrothermal processing in aqueous media, yielding a liquid phase (containing xylooligosaccharides) and a solid phase, enriched in cellulose, which was treated with alkaline solutions to obtain solids with improved susceptibility towards enzymatic hydrolysis. The effects of the most influential variables involved in the alkaline processing (sodium hydroxide concentration, temperature and reaction time) on solid yield, solid composition and kinetic parameters involved in the modelling of the enzymatic hydrolysis were assessed using the response surface methodology (RSM). RESULTS: Analysis of the RSM equations allowed selection of operational conditions (temperature = 130 degrees C, sodium hydroxide concentration = 4.5%, time of alkaline processing - 3 h), leading to selective removal of non-cellulosic components and to a solid substrate highly susceptible to enzymatic hydrolysis. Operating at an enzyme loading of 20 FPU (filter paper units) g(-1) autohydrolysed, extracted solids (denoted AES) with a liquor to solid ratio of 30 g liquor g(-1) AES, solutions containing 29.7 g glucose L-1 (corresponding to a yield of 47.3 g glucose per 100 g solids from autohydrolysis) were obtained after 48 h. CONCLUSION: Samples of Acacia dealbata wood were processed by autohydrolysis, sodium hydroxide treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, yielding xylooligomers and processed solids highly susceptible to the enzymatic hydrolysis. (C) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry