| Summary: | High doses of antimicrobial agents are a huge threat due to the increasing number of pathogenic organisms that are becoming resistant to antimicrobial agents. This resistance has led to a search for alternatives. Therefore, this study presents the synthesis and characterization of ZrO<sub>2</sub>-Ag<sub>2</sub>O nanoparticles (NPs) by sol-gel. The NPs were analyzed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-visible (UV-vis), Raman and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The NPs were later evaluated for their antifungal effects against <i>Candida</i><i>albicans</i>, <i>Candida dubliniensis</i>, <i>Candida glabrata,</i> and <i>Candida tropicalis,</i> using disc diffusion and microdilution methods, followed by the viability study. The DLS showed sizes for ZrO<sub>2</sub> 76 nm, Ag<sub>2</sub>O 50 nm, and ZrO<sub>2</sub>-Ag<sub>2</sub>O samples between 14 and 42 nm. UV-vis shows an absorption peak at 300 nm for ZrO<sub>2</sub> and a broadband for Ag<sub>2</sub>O NPs. Raman spectra were consistent with factor group analysis predictions. SEM showed spherically shaped NPs. The antifungal activity result suggested that ZrO<sub>2</sub>-Ag<sub>2</sub>O NPs were effective against <i>Candida</i> spp. From the viability study, there was no significance difference in viability as a function of time and concentration on human mononuclear cells. This promising result can contribute toward the development of alternative therapies to treat fungal diseases in humans.
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