Steam-pretreated sweet sorghum bagasse (SSB) and Douglas-fir (DF) were employed for SHF and SSF to evaluate the effects of xylanase supplementation and delignification on ethanol production. Results indicated final ethanol concentration in SHF could reach 28.4 g/L (SSB) and 20.4 g/L (OF) by xylanase supplementation with the increase of 46% and 61% in comparison with controls. The delignification could significantly enhance final ethanol concentration to 31.2 g/L (SSB) and 30.2 g/L (OF) with the increase of 61% and 138%. In SSF, final ethanol concentration in the delignified SSB and OF arrived at 27.6 g/L and 34.3 g/L with the increase of 26% and 157% compared with controls. However, only 2.2 g/L (SSB) and 6.9 g/L (OF) ethanol were obtained with xylanase supplementation. According to these results, it could be concluded that delignification was beneficial to improve ethanol production of SHF and SSF. The xylanase supplementation (0.12 g protein/g glucan) was only positive to SHF while retarded SSF seriously. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.