Biomass pretreatment for depolymerizing lignocellulosics to fermentable sugars has been studied for nearly 200 years. Researches have aimed at high sugar production with minimal degradation to inhibitory compounds. Chemical, physico-chemical and biochemical conversions are the most promising technologies. This article reviews the advances and current trends in the pretreatment of lignocellulosics for a prosperous biorefinery. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.