The invention belongs to the technical field of medicines and mainly relates to application of 2-phenylphenol and derivatives thereof to a medicine for treating epilepsia. The structural formula of the 2-phenylphenol derivatives is shown in the specification of the invetion, wherein R1 and R2 can be hydroxide groups, sulfhydryl groups at the same time or one is hydroxide radical and the other is sulfhydryl group; and R1 and R2 can be alkyls of C1-C6, alkenyls of C2-C6, alkyls and aryls of C2-C6 or acyls or alkenyls of C2-C6 and at least one of R1 and R2 is hydroxide group.