Researchers optimized a process using sodium carbonate to treat rice straw, increasing sugar release for bioethanol production. By using specific enzyme and conditions, they achieved a 3-fold increase in sugar release compared to room temperature. Through statistical optimization, they found the best conditions for maximum sugar liberation. The pretreated rice straw showed clear breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose, removal of lignin, and morphological changes. Fermentation of the resulting sugars by yeast produced 18.07 g/L of ethanol after 72 hours.