The seeds of Cassia occidentalis, an annual weed occurring throughout India, are a rich source of galactomannan gum. The gum derived from seed endosperm can be utilized in a number of industries to replace conventional gums. With a view to utilize the gum for broader applications, carboxymethylation of Cassia occidentalis seed gum was carried out. The reaction conditions were optimized with respect to concentration of monochloroacetic acid, sodium hydroxide, solvent ratio, reaction time, and reaction temperature. Rheological studies of carboxymethyl gum exhibited relatively high viscosity and stability vis-a-vis unmodified Cassia occidentalis gum. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.