Exploring the Chemical Diversity of Moroccan Medicinal Plants Through MoroChem: A Valuable Resource for Drug Discovery and Traditional Medicine

Pharmacognosy and its application in healthcare have witnessed significant advancements, especially with the resurgence of interest in natural pharmaceuticals and herbal remedies. Morocco’s unique geographic location, diverse climate, and rich cultural heritage have fostered a tradition of herbal medicine, with numerous endemic plants possessing valuable therapeutic properties. To promote drug discovery from these national assets, the development of a comprehensive database containing chemical compounds from Moroccan medicinal plants is crucial. This paper introduces MoroChem, a user-friendly database offering extensive information on Moroccan medicinal plants and their chemical composition. Additionally, the database incorporates a docking feature, enabling the prediction of binding affinities between chemical compounds and user-provided target proteins, aiding in research into their efficacy and safety through bioinformatics. Currently encompassing 700 compounds from 30 plant species, MoroChem serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in medicinal plant research, drug discovery, and pharmacology. The database facilitates the identification of active compounds in traditional remedies, their potential therapeutic properties, and their mechanisms of action, thereby expediting the development of new drugs. The MoroChem portal can be accessed at https://moro-chem-jabran.vercel.app/ .