ABSTRACT
Acknowledgments .............................................................................................................. 481
References .......................................................................................................................... 481
As fossil raw materials are diminishing, and as the pressure on our environment is strength-
ening, the progressive switch of industry toward renewable feedstock emerges as an unavoid-
able necessity [1]. In fact, one of the basic principles of Green Chemistry is to develop
processes that use renewable starting materials as an alternative to fossil resources [2]. Plant
biomass represents the dominant source of feedstock for biotechnological processes as well as
the only predictable sustainable source of organic fuels, chemicals, and materials [3]. For the
best utilization of biomass, it first needs to be separated into its principal components:
cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, xylooligomers, starch, nonstructural carbohydrates, vegetable
and essential oils, etc.
