Sugar recoveries from wheat straw following treatments with the fungus Irpex lacteus

► Wheat thin stillage was a suitable medium for Irpex lacteus pre-inoculums production. ► Mn(II) supplementation of wheat straw pretreated with the fungus gave significant improvements in glucose yield. ► The maximum glucose yield reached 68% at 21 days of incubation with Mn(II) addition. ► Xylose digestibility reached 100% under some pretreatment conditions. ► Fungal biomass on wheat straw was a positive indicator of glucose yields.