Viscosity reduction and the effect of cell-wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) were investigated using Canna edulis Ker. for bioethanol fermentation. The fermentation mash treated with CWDEs was much thinner (2.12 Pa s) than the control mash (8.42 Pa s), the fermentation efficiency was increased from 90.46% to 96.11%. HPLC analysis revealed that after treated with CWDEs, glucose and total sugar were increased by 28.07% and 7.60%, respectively. Changes in the starch granules were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The results suggested that the reduction in viscosity was caused by changes in saccharide composition and physical changes of the starch granules. This present study is of significance that non-starch polysaccharides and starch can be simultaneously utilized for bioethanol production using roots and tubers as feedstock. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.