NOVELTY - Hydrolyzing (M1) lignocellulose comprises contacting the lignocellulose with a chemical under moderate conditions to generate a treated lignocellulose, and contacting the treated lignocellulose with an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing lignocellulose, where the chemical is chosen from oxidizing agents, denaturants, detergents, organic solvents, bases, and their combinations.    USE - (M1) is useful for hydrolyzing lignocellulose. (M3) is useful for liberating a substance from plant material, where the substance is chosen from enzyme, pharmaceutical, and a nutraceutical (claimed). (M1) is useful for generating feedstocks for fermentation by fermenting microorganisms. (M1) is useful for developing or modifying the methods for processing lignocellulosic materials, modifying or improving handling characteristics of lignocellulose-containing materials such as viscosity, reducing feedstock bulk and particle size, which can be useful in liberation of sugars, use as a feedstock, or in preparation of the lignocellulose for use of further methods. (M1) is also useful for reducing waste bulk, and improving waste properties from industrial processes that generate lignocellulosic waste, reducing water content, and/or increasing dryability and nutritive value.    ADVANTAGE - (M1) enables hydrolysis of lignocellulose with increased efficiency without the need for a harsh pretreatment. (M1) is more efficient, more economical, and less toxic than the conventional methods. (M1) enhances the production of free sugars and oligosacchardies from plant material. The feedstocks generated by (M1) have additional nutritive value beyond the nutritive value provided by the liberated sugars, due to the solubilization of proteins, amino acids, lignin (carbon source), lipids and minerals (including iron). The chemical treatment reduces the number of biological contaminants present in the lignocellulosic feedstock, and sterilizes the feedstock.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for the following:    (1) pretreating (M2) a lignocellulosic material, involves contacting the material with at least one chemical under moderate conditions to generate a treated lignocellulose, where the chemical is chosen from oxidizing agents, denaturants, detergents, organic solvents, bases, and their combinations; and    (2) liberating (M3) a substance from plant material, involves contacting the plant material with at least one chemical under at least one condition chosen from a temperature from about 10degreesC to about 90degreesC, a pressure less than about 2 atm, and a pH between about pH 4.0 and about pH 10.0, to generate a treated plant material, where the chemical is chosen from oxidizing agents, denaturants, detergents, organic solvents, bases, and their combinations.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows graph representing the amount of microbial growth as measured by absorbance at 600 nm compared to the percentage of sugars (stover sugars or glucose and xylose) in the growth media.