IMPPAT: A digital phytochemical atlas enabling computational approaches to traditional Indian knowledge-centered herbal drug discovery

ABSTRACT: Digitizing the rich yet fragmented knowledge embedded in traditional Indian medicine, covering medicinal herbs, their phytochemicals, and therapeutic applications, can substantially advance drug discovery and wellness research. The Indian Medicinal Plants, Phytochemistry And Therapeutics (IMPPAT) database was developed to address this need through systematic curation of phytochemical constituents and therapeutic uses at the plant-part level, along with related information for thousands of Indian medicinal plants. This review outlines the architecture, strengths, scope, and future directions of IMPPAT, highlighting its potential to facilitate computational analyses for herbal drug discovery and repurposing. To demonstrate the translational value of IMPPAT, we present a focused case study on Ayurvedic herbs traditionally used to treat Eczema. This integrative system-level investigation revealed mechanistic associations between Ayurvedic herbs and biological pathways implicated in Eczema pathophysiology. Together, these insights emphasize how the IMPPAT platform can enable discovery and repurposing efforts consistent with Ayurveda’s multicompound, multitarget paradigm.