Pregn-5-en-3β-ol and androst-5-en-3β-ol dicarboxylic acid esters as potential therapeutics for NMDA hypofunction: In vitro safety assessment and plasma stability.

•In vitro safety evaluation of positive modulators of NMDA receptor.•NMDA receptor positive allosteric modulation as a potential therapeutic strategy.•Hepatotoxicity and mitotoxicity estimation using HepG2 cells.•Caco-2 permeability assay to evaluate intestinal absorption of novel compounds.•Screening of rat and human plasma stability reveals unforeseen stability of C-3 hemiester moiety.