Epilepsy is a serious and widespread neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures caused by excessive electrical activity of the brain. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vanillic acid (VA) on generalized convulsions in rats. To evaluate the anticonvulsant effect of VA, we used pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), a standard method for analyzing convulsions. Fifty-six adult male Wistar rats (200±20 g) were randomly divided randomly into 7 groups: Control (received PTZ and VA as vehicle); PTZ (80 mg/kg, I.P); PTZ+VA25, 50, 100 and 200 (received VA at doses of 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively) and PTZ+PHB (received phenobarbital 80 mg/kg). VA or normal saline was administered 30 minutes before induction of PTZ convulsion. Immediately after PTZ administration, the following was observed in the rats: (1) Latency to onset of convulsions, (2) Number of convulsions and (3) death for the period of 60 min and convulsion behavior. Pain, MDA, SOD and GPx were assessed in each group. The results of the present study showed that VA had an anticonvulsant and analgesic effect in rats with PTZ-induced convulsions. Also, MDA level decreased after VA administration, and GPx and SOD activities were increased by VA in PTZ-induced rats. The results of the current study suggest that VA may have an anticonvulsant effect by inhibiting and/or reducing PTZ -induced seizures in the rats used by increasing or somewhat impairing GABAergic neurotransmission.