Abstract Five solvents with different physicochemical properties were evaluated for organosolv pretreatment with wheat straw ( Triticum durum Desf. ). Ethanol, methanol, butanol, acetone and diethylene glycol, were used, in the presence of 23 mol m −3 sulfuric acid as the pretreatment's catalyst. The pretreatment process was conducted at different temperatures and times. The enzymatic digestibility of the pretreated material was estimated by using a commercial cellulase preparation prior to fermentation of released glucose by Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The pretreatment with ethanol at 180 °C for 40 min resulted in a maximum cellulose conversion of 89%, as well as ethanol yield 67% of theoretical yield. The results indicate that organosolv pretreatment with diethylene glycol at 160 °C for 40 min is also very promising due to its high ethanol yield of 65% combined with high pulp yield of 51%.