The great dependence on oil to obtain fuels that still exists, leads to search for new sources of renewable energy. Bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass is a fuel that reduces the environmental effects of greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to reducing the energy dependence on non-renewable sources.
Various policies promote the development of biofuels by assigning mandatory goals and quotas for blending with conventional fuels. Besides its use as an additive for fossil fuels, due to its ability to improve octane rating and reduce polluting emissions, bioethanol is seen as a great alternative, because it can be obtained from a wide variety of vegetables from different climates around the world Hamelinck et al. [1].
Currently at the industrial level, the largest production of bioethanol is done from saccharides and amylase raw materials, which is known as first generation ethanol. The main problem derived from this production is the high cost of raw material, since these biomasses are linked to the food market, which affects the final price of the product in addition to competing with food supplies. Meanwhile, bioethanol obtained from agro-food waste, considered a second generation fuel, is presented as a future alternative to first-generation biofuels [2]. In this way, it does not interfere on human or animal food supplies availability, while contributes to a sustainable development [3].
The direct conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol is difficult due to the complexity in the structure of plants cell walls. Therefore, it is necessary to apply specific treatments to these materials, prior to the hydrolysis and fermentation stages, to modify the chemical and structural composition of the lignocellulosic biomass, improving the access of the hydrolytic agents to cellulose fibers [4], [5]. There are several kinds of pre-treatments: physical (crushing, hydrothermolysis) [6], chemical (acid, alkaline, solvents and ozone) [7], physicochemical (steam explosion, ammonium fiber explosion) [8] and biological [9], or a combination of these [10] .The choice of the treatment to be applied depends on the biomass to be treated Farias [11].
Melon belongs to the family of Cucurbitaceae and it is the fourth most consumed fruit in the world, after oranges, bananas and grapes [12]. This is one of the distinguished horticultural crops of the Province of San Juan, Argentina. For various reasons, such as oversupply, low quality of the fruit that does not meet the market requirements for fresh consumption and nonexistent industrialization alternatives for this fruit, have led to a large percentage of loss (around 20% of its annual production).
The composition of melon varies according to the variety, on average it contains 85–90% water, 7–8% sugar and about 10% cellulose and hemicellulose [13]. Its use to generate added value products implies economic and environmental benefits for both, the producers and the community.
This work presents the results obtained from the application of pre-treatments to melons discarded from the production of this fruit, in order to evaluate the feasibility of its use to produce bioethanol. The applied methodology and the results of the combination of physical, chemical and enzymatic pretreatments on this horticultural fruit are shown, this is done in order to maximize the bioavailability of sugars for the subsequent obtaining of ethanol.