Nine sulfated defatted rice bran polysaccharides (sRBPS), with various degrees of sulfation (DS) and carbohydrate content, were prepared by chlorosulfonic acid-pyridine (CSA-Pyr) method according to orthogonal test. Nine sulfated derivatives sRBPS were obtained and their antitumor activities were compared by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results showed that when DS within the scope of 0.81-1.29, carbohydrate content in the range of 41.41-78.56%, sulfated derivatives exhibit relatively strong antitumor activity in vitro. The optimum modification conditions were reaction temperature of 70 degrees C, the ratio of chlorosulfonic acid to pyridine of 1:4 and the reaction time of 2h.