Southeast Asia Research Articles

Moving Mountains and Swallowing Seas: Śaiva Gurus as Ecological Agents in Early South and Southeast Asia

The worship of Śiva in early South and Southeast Asia offered devotees a fully realized “religious ecology,” i.e., a system of mutually beneficial relationships between human communities, natural systems, and the nonhuman or more-than-human worlds in which they operated. Within this religious worldview, the Śaiva guru functioned as a critical terrestrial intermediary. In canonical early Śaiva texts, the guru was celebrated as an ecological agent capable of alleviating suffering and nurturing community. In material culture, the guru’s iconographic attributes (e.g., waterpot, trident, and lotus) signaled his ability to offer devotees emotional, social, and environmental benefits. Using the figure of the Brahmanical sage and Śaiva guru Agastya as an entrée, this study initiates a comparative analysis of the cultural connections between gurus, Śiva worship, and the power of the natural world as expressed through iconographic programs and architectural spaces from northern India, Vietnam, and Java. Since Agastya is both a personification of Brahmanical cultural authority and a transregional emblem of the Śaiva tradition, he provides a fertile ground from which to explore the role of the guru in early South and Southeast Asia. Agastya’s mythic biography also features two significant environmental interventions: subduing the Vindhya Mountain when it threatened to block out the sun, and drinking the ocean’s waters to reveal hidden demons threatening a divine order. His ecological agency, expressed in narratives as the power to neutralize potential threats in the natural world and manifest beneficence, is materialized in images that express the socially supportive values of prosperity and fertility.

Managing south-east Asia’s savannas: challenges and holistic approaches through community-based fire management

Savannas, characterised by a continuous grass layer and discontinuous tree layer, are widespread globally and highly flammable during dry seasons, contributing to 90% of annual global burned areas and significant emissions. Asian savannas, often mismanaged owing to structural variability and misclassification as ‘poor forests’, face excessive or insufficient fire regimes. Addressing trans-boundary haze and climate mitigation requires improved understanding and sustainable management. This paper addresses savanna management challenges, particularly misclassified dry dipterocarp forests in the Lower Mekong, by synthesising knowledge on their distribution and the role of fire use by local communities, and recommends holistic, community-based fire management, integrated planning and incentives.

Phenotypic and genetic variation of Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand and its global relationships: Insights from wing morphometric and mitochondrial COI gene analyses.

Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, is an important vector transmitting dangerous arboviruses to humans. This study investigated the phenotypic and genetic variation of this species in Thailand through wing geometric morphometric (GM) and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequence analyses. A total of 236 Ae. albopictus specimens from 12 populations in Thailand and 89 specimens from invasive populations in Florida, Hawaii and Brazil underwent wing GM analysis. The centroid size (CS) of Ae. albopictus populations in Thailand ranged from 2.00 mm in Bangkok to 2.36 mm in Chanthaburi, while in invasive populations, CS varied from 2.25 mm in Brazil to 2.47 mm in Florida. Pairwise comparisons of wing shape revealed significant differences for most population pairs, with distances ranging from 1.63 to 10.02. The clustering tree indicated distant relationships in wing shape between native and invasive populations. Additionally, partial COI gene sequences were amplified from 108 specimens, revealing a mean haplotype diversity of 0.842 ± 0.025 and a mean nucleotide diversity of 0.002 ± 0.001. The results from neutral Tajima's D and Fu's Fs tests indicated negative and statistically significant values (-2.159 and -33.846, respectively), suggesting population expansion. Further examination of haplotype relationships between Thailand and other countries identified two distinct groups: a Southeast Asia group, with Thai haplotypes clustered exclusively within it, and a non-Southeast Asia group. These findings highlight the phenotypic and genetic variation of Ae. albopictus in Thailand, providing essential insights for disease control strategies and tracing the mosquito's origins across regions.

The impacts of the Eastern Opening strategy on the bilateral trade and investment between Hungary and on the Asian economies

Background and introduction: The East and Southeast Asian newly industrialized economies have shown spectacular economic development by their export-oriented development policies during recent decades, which resulted in not only economic wealth but enabled them to be technology exporters and investors. Their products, their flagship brands today are well-known and recognized throughout the world. It is not surprising that the Hungarian government—by its Hungarian Eastern Opening strategy—intended to focus on these economies, even though that with most of them there were intensive and broad co-operation in the fields of business, investment, culture, education and tourism. The new strategy gave a focus on increasing the diplomatic and trade relationship with the wider region, new embassies and trade representation offices were opened or re-opened in several locations with the view of intensifying the business and the people-to-people contacts. Even though the pandemic of Covid 19 and the energy crisis caused disruption in international trade, it can be said the trade and investment relations with these economies have still been growing, especially on the import side. The prospects of the growth of Hungarian exports to these destinations are modest which is hindered by the huge geographic distance, the peculiar consumer preferences, the merely different market conditions and the sharp competition. Objective: The aim of this paper to illustrate by statistical figures the state of the trade and investment relations between Hungary and the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. Methodology: Bibliographic and data analysis, focusing on the relevant international and Hungarian literature and databases, especially the trade and investment statistics of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO/KSH).

Current status and trends in thalassemia burden across South, East and Southeast Asia, 1990–2021 a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2021

ObjectiveThalassemia, an inherited hemoglobin synthesis disorder, imposes a significant health burden in Asian regions with high prevalence. Detailed patterns and trends of the disease across countries and territories within these regions remain underexplored. Our study focuses on the disease burden indices of thalassemia within the four GBD-defined Asian regions and the twenty-five included countries and territories. It provides insights into the gender-age distribution, temporal changes, and economic aspects of the thalassemia burden.MethodsData on thalassemia prevalence, incidence, mortality, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study for South, East, Southeast, and high-income Asia regions, encompassing the relevant countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. The Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) in age-standardized rates of thalassemia was determined to assess temporal trends. Age-gender cohort proportions were considered. The economic aspect of the disease burden and frontier analysis were evaluated using the GBD Socio-Demographic Index and Global Health Expenditure data.ResultsSoutheast Asia exhibited notably high age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR), age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), and age-standardized DALYs rate among the four studied Asian regions in 2021. The East Asia region had recorded the highest age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR). A general decline in disease burden indices across the four regions from 1990 to 2021 was evident, with the exception of ASIR in Southeast Asia. The ASMR was highest among pediatric population under five years old, with a significant male preponderance. An unusual increase in ASMR was detected among females of childbearing age and the elderly within the studied region. Further analysis had identified six high-burden countries and territories, particularly those with low-middle Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) rankings and limited health expenditure.ConclusionAlthough the overall burden of thalassemia has decreased substantially, the disease burden was influenced by gender, age, geography, temporal trends, and economic factors in distinct manners. Based on the current SDI, many countries and regions still have greater improvement potential in the disease burden. There is a necessity for enhanced attention and resource allocation, particularly in low-middle and low SDI countries, with an emphasis on policies that promote early diagnosis and comprehensive care.

Ricardo Roque and Warwick Anderson, eds. Imagined Racial Laboratories: Colonial and National Racialisations in Southeast Asia

Ricardo Roque and Warwick Anderson, eds. Imagined Racial Laboratories: Colonial and National Racialisations in Southeast Asia

Metal resources and Han immigrants: Lead isotope analysis of metal relics excavated from Heimajing cemetery in Gejiu, Yunnan, China

AbstractThe Heimajing cemetery of the Han Dynasty is in southwestern China's most famous tin‐mining area. Smelting relics, such as tin ore and lead ingots, unearthed from Heimajing cemetery indicated the people were probably involved in mining and smelting. We used chemical composition and lead isotope analyses to study 76 samples from bronze artifacts and metallurgical remains. The results show that Han‐style bronzes, such as bronze hu, pan, ear cups, and other household utensils, as well as coins, are mainly lead–tin bronzes, while Southwest barbarian‐style objects such as spears, ge, and chu are copper or tin–bronze. Lead isotope analysis shows that these bronzes and metallurgical remains were mainly produced locally using the mineral sources of the Gejiu region. Not only are Heimajing bronzes stylistically similar to Han‐style bronzes of the Lingnan region, but also the source of the bronze material in both places is the same, both from the local mine in Gejiu. We speculate that the mining and metallurgical activities of metal mineral resources in Gejiu attracted many people from Lingnan. Then, they transported raw metal materials to the outside world, so Gejiu quickly became a center for supplying lead and tin raw materials during the Han Dynasty. Lead and tin sources from Gejiu have been transported to the Yungui Plateau, Lingnan, and Southeast Asia.

Ricardo Roque and Warwick Anderson, eds. Imagined Racial Laboratories: Colonial and National Racialisations in Southeast Asia

Ricardo Roque and Warwick Anderson, eds. Imagined Racial Laboratories: Colonial and National Racialisations in Southeast Asia

Correction: Projected changes in precipitation extremes over Southeast Asia: unraveling the roles of thermodynamic and dynamic contributions

Correction: Projected changes in precipitation extremes over Southeast Asia: unraveling the roles of thermodynamic and dynamic contributions

Pathological Q waves at presentation of anterior ST segment elevation myocardial infarction predict heart failure: a Southeast Asian perspective.

Pathological Q waves at presentation in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have been associated with poorer clinical outcomes including heart failure. This observational study highlights the prognostic value of pathological Q waves at presentation in the Southeast Asian population. Multiethnic Asian patients presenting with STEMI and treated with primary coronary intervention were recruited from 2015 to 2019. The presenting ECG was reviewed for pathological Q waves and patients were divided into groups with and without Q waves. The confirmatory multivariate analyses concerning the presence of Q wave, occurrence of heart failure, time to heart failure at 1 year, and the mortality status were performed with generalized structural equation model. A total of 1385 patients were included. Patients with pathological Q waves were more likely to suffer from anterior myocardial infarction (55.6 vs. 43.6%) and classified as Killip class >2 (13.5 vs. 8.0%). Among them, fewer reported ST segment resolution >50% (66.5 vs. 79.7%). They reported significantly lower LVEF (45.5 vs. 51.1%), longer symptom onset to ECG (168 vs. 111 min), and longer symptom-onset-to-balloon time (228 vs. 176 min). In addition, patients with Q waves were likely to stay longer in hospital (6.4 vs. 6.1 days) and faced a higher risk of heart failure (5.2 vs. 2.5%) in a year. We highlight the important morbidity associated with Q waves at presentation and found not only that heart failure occurrence was higher in the Q wave group, but there was also an acceleration of and shorter onset to heart failure.

Islamic Child Parenting Practices and Muslim Family Resilience in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Literature Review

Purpose – This study explores the integration of Islamic values in child parenting practices and its impact on family resilience within Muslim families in Southeast Asia. The necessity of this research arises from the increasing interest in how religious teachings influence family dynamics and child development, providing a unique perspective on parenting in diverse cultural contexts. Design/methods/approach – A systematic literature review methodology adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. Databases such as Scopus, Google Scholar, Emerald, PubMed, Taylor & Francis, Springer, and Semantic Scholar were searched using specific keywords related to Islamic parenting and family resilience in Southeast Asia. The study included peer-reviewed empirical research published between 2000 and 2024. From the results of the article selection, 39 articles were narrowed down and analysed to reveal various critical aspects of the research theme. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify, analyse, and report themes within the data. Findings – The review identified that integrating Islamic values into parenting practices significantly enhances family resilience, promotes interfaith tolerance, and supports children's moral development. Key themes included the implementation of wasatiyyah (moderation), character education based on Islamic teachings, and the role of community and cultural integration in parenting. However, challenges such as balancing cultural influences and addressing special needs within the context of Islamic parenting were also highlighted. Research implications/limitations – The study's limitations include the diverse cultural backgrounds of the families studied and the reliance on existing literature, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and examine the role of community support, religious institutions, and modern technology in parenting. Practical implications – This study provides valuable insights into the role of Islamic values in enhancing family resilience among Muslim families in Southeast Asia. It highlights the importance of religious teachings in shaping parenting practices and offers recommendations for future research and practical applications. Originality/value – This is your opportunity to provide readers with an analysis of the value of your results. It is a good idea to ask colleagues whether your analysis is balanced and fair, and again, it is essential not to exaggerate. You can also conjecture what future research steps could be. Paper type Literature review

Impacts of Marine Plastic Pollution on Seagrass Meadows and Ecosystem Services in Southeast Asia

Seagrass meadows provide ecosystem services (ES) that are critical for humanity. Southeast Asia (SEA) is a hotspot of seagrass diversity, and the region’s seagrass-derived ES have been valued at over $100 billion annually; however, the health and extent of seagrass meadows are in decline. Marine plastic pollution (MPP) is an escalating problem and a concern for vulnerable marine habitats such as seagrass meadows. To understand the impacts that MPP has on seagrass ecosystems and their provision of ES, we conducted a mixed methodology study that involved a systematic search of the literature and the synthesis of the results with a risk assessment. The results indicated that MPP negatively impacts seagrass through factors such as spatial competition, chemical leaching, and reduced rates of photosynthesis and rhizome growth. This can lead to a reduction in seagrass biomass, triggering the degradation of all seagrass-derived ES. A risk assessment of the microplastic impact results indicated that seagrass-derived ES are at high risk of decline from the current microplastic concentrations, which in turn indicates a potential threat to the well-being of those dependent on them.

The grey zone of taxonomy—The case of the Sikkim Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Myotis sicarius), first recorded from Southeast Asia

Abstract In taxonomic works, the weight to be given to morphological, mitochondrial, or nuclear signals, and the assessment of differences as species or subspecies distinctions has also varied considerably over the past decades and is largely a subjective research decision. This apparent example of the “grey zone of taxonomy” underpins the need of critical studies of as many specimens as possible and of using both mitochondrial and nuclear genes in taxonomic-systematic studies, as phylogeny based on uniparentally inherited genes alone may not represent true evolutionary scenarios. Myotis sicarius, a species occurring thorough the Himalayan foothills was found for the first time out of South Asia, in North Vietnam. Analysis of topotypical and Vietnamese specimens revealed high mitochondrial heterogeneity – at the upper limit of the usual threshold of intraspecific difference – but only minute nuclear sequence and negligible morphological differences. Albeit the large geographic distance between the two records might suggest the existence of two putative reproductively isolated taxonomic units, based on the incongruent results we concluded that the split of geographic populations of M. sicarius into different taxa is unsupported. As a morphologically closely resembling species, we also reviewed the taxonomic status of the two morphological forms of M. annectans and synonymizing M. primula with M. annectans was also corroborated by our phylogenetic analyses.

Essential Oils Obtained from Sicilian Citrus reticulata Blanco By-Products: Antibacterial and Allelopathic Activity

Mandarin, one of the winter fruits commonly used in the preparation of foods and juices, is a fruit native to China and Southeast Asia. In this work, essential oils (EOs) obtained from by-products of the Citrus reticulata Blanco flavedo of five cultivars present and cultivated within the Botanical Garden of Palermo were chemically and biologically studied: C. reticulata ‘Avana’ (C1), C. reticulata ‘Tardivo di Ciaculli’ (C2), C. reticulata ‘Bombajensis’ (C3), C. reticulata ‘Aurantifolia’ (C4), and C. reticulata ‘Padre Bernardino’ (C5). The GC and GC-MS analysis performed on all the extracted samples clearly highlighted the notable presence of limonene, a characteristic hydrocarbon monoterpene of EOs of the Citrus genus. C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 were tested in relation to their possible antibacterial and allelopathic activity, also highlighting the activity of limonene, the main compound. For the antibacterial activity, eight different bacterial strains were used, both Gram-positive and Gram-negative (Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Enterobacter aerogens). For the allelopathic effect, two model systems were chosen: the germination of radish seeds (Raphanus sativus L.) and of spores in the moss Tortula muralis (Hedw.). The EOs from all cultivars showed pronounced antibacterial effects against all strains with an MIC comprised in the range of 16–256 μg/mL. Limonene showed the highest activity with an MIC between 4 and 16. The allelopathic effects showed a decrease in the percentage of seed germination, root, and epicotyl growth on Raphanus and a strong reduction in the germination of Tortula spores with an alteration in the development of the protonema. Limonene showed the same but more intense allelopathic activity.

Infectomics of Chikungunya Virus: Roles Played by Host Factors.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), prevalent in tropical regions, is known for causing frequent outbreaks, particularly in Central Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It is an arbovirus transmitted by the Aedes (Ae.) aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitoes. Infections lead to severe joint and muscle pain, which can linger and significantly impair an individual's health, quality of life, and economic stability. Recent climatic changes and the globalization of travel have facilitated the worldwide spread of these mosquitoes. Currently, no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug is available for treating CHIKV infection. Recently, the FDA approved a live, attenuated vaccine called Ixchiq. However, this vaccine has been linked to side effects, leading the FDA to mandate additional post-marketing studies to assess the risk of severe adverse reactions similar to the virus. An emerging strategy in drug development focuses on targeting host factors that the virus exploits rather than the viral proteins themselves. This review explores the interactions between CHIKV and host factors that could be potential therapeutic targets. Despite progress in understanding the life cycle of CHIKV, the immune system's role in combating the virus still needs to be fully understood. Investigating treatments that enhance the host's immune response may offer new paths to combating CHIKV.

Care service attendant training based on culturally responsive pedagogy and design thinking for immigrant women in Taiwan

A significant cohort of Southeast Asian women in Taiwan, having married locals, constitutes a disadvantaged group entangled in the issues of gender, marriage migration, and social class. The lack of human capital, social discrimination and urgent personal economic demands have caused immigrant women in Taiwan to become a source of inexpensive labor in the labor market, they usually prioritize vocational training for employment. Furthermore, the rapidly growing elderly population has resulted in a severe shortage of quality care services in Taiwan. Despite Taiwanese government training for immigrant women, diverse sociocultural factors hinder them from pursuing caregiving professions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of care service attendant (CSA) training based on culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and design thinking (DT) for immigrant women in Taiwan. Nine Vietnamese and Indonesian immigrant women in Taiwan attended and completed the training. The CSA training comprised core academic modules and practicum modules and was conducted in groups for 170 h over 5 weeks. This study employed a qualitative research approach, gathering data through interviews, observation, and document analysis. The results revealed that CSA training based on CRP and DT was effective in improving immigrant women’s satisfaction with training and their rate of employment as CSAs. Specifically, in addition to basic care service professionalism, the female immigrant trainees developed proactive attitudes toward problem-solving. Moreover, the integration of Taiwanese culture and frequent communication in the training facilitated the self-confidence of these trainees. In the workplace, these female immigrant CSAs’ commitment to meeting clients’ needs and innovating their service boosted the clients’ appreciation and their own cultural competency and empowerment. Overall, this study suggests that the application of CRP and DT in CSA training is a promising way of enhancing the workforce capacity of female immigrant CSAs and has value for low-skilled adult trainees. However, structuring the learning processes clearly and involving instructors with multicultural education and DT education competency are critical to implementing such vocational training.

Science and Engineering Practices: a Comparative Analysis of Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese Science Curricula

Abstract Southeast Asian countries are embracing updated integrated curricula, such as STEM, which are impacted by socio-scientific, political, and economic reasons related to global educational reform. This study compares science curricula regarding science and engineering practices (SEP s) in Indonesian, Thai, and Vietnamese science curricula. The SEP s in the curricular learning outcomes were examined using qualitative content analysis. According to the analysis, the learning outcomes of the three Southeast Asian countries were more aligned with science than engineering. Students most often practiced ‘constructing scientific explanations,’ while the least common was ‘asking questions and defining problems’ across countries. Compared to Indonesia and Vietnam, the Thai curriculum typically included ‘developing a model’, a key science and engineering practice. The findings suggest that curriculum design may reconsider integration, curricular coherence, and learning goals for modelling, asking questions, and engineering to increase engagement with diverse activities.

Global, regional and national disease burden of food-borne trematodiases: projections to 2030 based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BackgroundFood-borne trematodiases (FBTs), mainly encompassing clonorchiasis, fascioliasis, fasciolopsiasis, opisthorchiasis, and paragonimiasis, is a neglected public health problem, particularly in the WHO South-East Asia and the Western Pacific regions. This study evaluates the global, regional, and national disease burden of FBTs from 1990 to 2021 and projects trends to 2030, underscore the need for targeted prevention and control.MethodsUsing the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database, the crude and the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) and age-standardized prevalence disability-adjusted life years rate (ASDR) of FBTs at the global, regional and national level from 1990 to 2021 were described. The pivotal years of trend changes were identified using joinpoint regression analysis. The effects of age, period, cohort on FBTs prevalence and correlation with the sociodemographic index (SDI) was analyzed. Finally, the worldwide disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for FBTs, projected up to 2030 using the Bayesian age-period-cohort model, were analyzed.ResultsIn 2021, 44,466,329 FBTs cases [95% uncertainty interval (UI): 40,017,217, 50,034,921], and 998,028 DALYs [95% UI: 569,766, 1,638,112] were estimated across 17 countries. The Western Pacific region exhibited the highest ASPR and ASDR, with the values of 1649.26 (95% UI: 1461.95, 1881.64) and 36.54 (95% UI: 19.77, 64.16), respectively. From 1990 to 2021, Lao PDR, Thailand, and the Philippines showed the most substantial declines in FBTs, while Kazakhstan had the largest average annual percentage change in DALYs (− 6.60, 95% UI: − 7.10, − 6.10). High-middle and middle SDI countries exhibited higher burden, with ASDR values of 28.03 (95% UI: 15.41, 48.73) and 16.63 (95% UI: 9.32, 27.68), respectively. The disease burden was greater among males, peaking in the 50–59 age group. The projected ASDR in 2030 is 13.10 for males and 8.40 for females.ConclusionsFBTs remain a public health threat, with the global ASDR projected to remain stable, showing only a slight decrease by 2030. Low-income countries face ambiguous mortality rates and underestimated disease burdens, highlighting the need for improved surveillance. To achieve the 2030 NTD goal, comprehensive surveillance and integrated strategies derived using a One Health approach should be prioritized to control FBTs effectively.Graphical

Nusantara's Northern Neighbors: Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak, and the Prospects of a Pan-Borneo Railway in ASEAN

Borneo, the world's third-largest island, presents a unique intersection of diverse ecosystems and indigenous cultures set within the complexities of Southeast Asia's socio-economic and geopolitical fabric. This research delves into the developmental trajectories of Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei, emphasizing their historical resource endowments and contemporary challenges. Positioned against the backdrop of Indonesia's Nusantara initiative, which seeks to galvanize Kalimantan's growth, this study articulates strategic pathways for the northern territories. Drawing from comprehensive evaluations, it bridges the existing literature gap by integrating analyses of critical resources, exploring the viability of the Pan-Borneo Railway, and examining its potential impacts. Moreover, it provides comparative insights with other regional transport projects and underscores Borneo's potential transformation into a pivotal trade nexus. The study culminates by highlighting how fortifying Northern Borneo's capabilities could reciprocally amplify Kalimantan's regional prominence. The research underscores the need for collaborative imperatives and strategic integration.

Discovery of a Novel Co-crystal of Chrysin and Oroxylin a with Anticancer Properties from Leaves of Oroxylum indicum.

As the number of new cancer cases increases every year, there is a necessity to develop new drugs for the treatment of different types of cancers. Plants' resources are considered to be huge reservoirs for therapeutic agents in nature. Among all the medicinal plants, Oroxylum indicum is one of the most widely used medicinal plants in India, China, and Southeast Asian countries. Combinatorial drug treatment, on the other hand, is favored over single drug treatment in order to target multiple biomolecular moieties that help in the growth and development of cancer. Therefore, combinatorial drug treatment using a co-crystal of multiple drugs gives researchers an idea of the development of a new type of drug for targeting multiple targets. In this study, a new co-crystal of chrysin and oroxylin A was isolated from the leaves of O. indicum, and its anticancer properties were studied in cervical cancer cells HeLa. This study was conducted with the aim of identifying new anticancer compounds from the leaves of Oroxylum indicum and studying the anticancer properties of the isolated compound. In this study, we elucidated the structure of a new co-crystal compound, which was isolated from the leaf extract of Oroxylum indicum. The apoptosis induction mechanism of the newly discovered co-crystal in HeLa cells was also studied. A crystal compound from the chloroform extract of leaves of Oroxylum Indicum was isolated by solvent fractionation and chromatographic methods involving HPLC. The molecular structure of the isolated crystal was elucidated by Single Crystal-XRD, FT-IR analysis, and further determined by LC-MS. The antiproliferative activity was carried out using an MTT assay and fluorescence microscopy, and the mechanism of apoptosis was determined using Western blotting techniques. The novel co-crystal consists of two active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in a 1:1 ratio, i.e., oroxylin A and chrysin. The isolated new co-crystal induced death in HeLa cells with a very low IC50 value of 8.49μM. It induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in HeLa cells by activation of Caspase-3 through inhibition of ERKs and activation of p38 of MAPK cell signalling pathway. This study presents the first report on the discovery of a naturally occurring co-crystal of chrysin and oroxylin A and the involvement of ERKs and p38 of MAPK pathways in the induction of apoptosis in HeLa cells by the co-crystal. Our study sheds light on the development of a co-crystal of chrysin and oroxylin A in a specific ratio of 1:1 for combination therapy of the two APIs. The purified co-crystal was found to be more efficient compared to the compounds present individually. Further analysis of the physiochemical properties and molecular mechanisms of the isolated co-crystal in different cancer cells is warranted for its application in therapeutics.