NPEW 2025 live: Gencor’s Trpti solves OEA stability issues with LipiSperse technology

At the ongoing Natural Products Expo West (NPEW) trade show, Gencor introduces Trpti, a fatty acid ethanolamide product designed to support weight management and metabolic health. The ingredient is part of the OEA (oleoylethanolamide) portfolio.

The intestine produces OEA, a fatty acid ethanolamide, reacting to food consumption, which helps break down fat and cut food intake. The fatty acid ethanolamide also helps release GLP-1 to reduce food cravings. It has typically faced stability challenges, which Gencor addresses with advanced cold water dispersion technology that improves how well fat-soluble (lipophilic) ingredients dissolve in water. 

Live on the showroom floor, in Anaheim, California, US, Nutrition Insight meets with Maggie McNamara, marketing director, and Ramasamy Venkatesh, co-founder and managing director of Gencor, on the show floor to learn about Trpti.

“Many people are talking about GLP-1, and it’s a very popular term and trend in the market. Trpti is OEA, so instead of us creating something that would be a foreign substance to the body, it naturally activates GLP-1 in the body.” 

“And we saw that there was a need in the market for something natural that wasn’t going to cause massive side effects when people were taking it and was going to help with your digestion,” says McNamara.

She explains that Trpti is combined with Pharmako Biotechnologies’ LipiSperse dispersion technology, which enhances bioavailability and broadens the types of formats in which manufacturers and brands can offer the product, such as supplements, functional foods, gummies, beverages, and RTD shots.

Overcoming degradation challenges

Venkatesh details that OEA in the intestine binds to a receptor called GPR119, which releases GLP-1. Pollution, processed foods, inflammation, and lifestyle choices disrupt OEA production and its ability to bind to receptors, leading to metabolic imbalances. These imbalances contribute to weight gain and reduced metabolic efficiency.

Maggie McNamara, marketing director, and Ramasamy Venkatesh, co-founder and managing director of Gencor.“We found this is the key reason why metabolic imbalances occur. There are multiple reasons, but this is one of the key reasons, so why don’t we look at a solution?”

Gencor’s research pinpointed the intestine as a target area, but met a significant hurdle: OEA is easily hydrolyzed and degraded in the gastrointestinal tract. “It needed to be delivered to the intestine to be effective,” notes Venkatesh. 

Gencor found conventional OEA supplements are less effective because the enzyme FAAH breaks them down before they enter the gut. LipiSperse technology solves this by dispersing OEA into smaller, water-compatible particles.

Venkatesh continues: “We used the LipiSperse technology from our sister company, through which we found we can effectively deliver OEA. We understood where it needed to be delivered, and then we ended up delivering it and got critical data backing it.”

LipiSperse method of action

Lipid-based compounds typically clump together, reducing absorption. “The GI tract and the intestine, coated with a mucus layer, naturally repel lipids,” Venkatesh elaborates. “However, with LipiSperse, the OEA molecule is surrounded by water molecules, acting like a Trojan horse, facilitating greater absorption in the intestine.”

Trpti, combined with LipiSperse technology, enhances bioavailability and broadens the application formats.He says that Gencor’s OEA is supported by human clinical trials, which show that it upregulates beneficial bacterial strains that promote immunity, metabolic function, and the production of short-chain fatty acids, leading to effective weight management. 

“While intestinal inflammation, gut integrity, and the microbiome remain challenges, our tests showed that gut integrity was maintained, GLP-1 levels increased significantly, and GIP [gastric inhibitory polypeptide] levels decreased,” Venkatesh continues.

GLP-1 and GIP manage insulin regulation. “GIP helps reduce the storage of unwanted fats,” Venkatesh notes. He also mentions that additional studies are underway as the company continues to validate the mechanism of action of its formula.

A single-blind, cross-over study will be conducted to evaluate the short-term effects of OEA powered by LipiSperse in healthy participants.

At NPEW, Nutrition Insight also met with Vivici, which unveiled precision-fermented dairy protein, Vivitein BLG (beta-lactoglobulin), for the US market, and FrieslandCampina Ingredients, who showcased its new prebiotic sparkling water and protein formats.

With additional reporting by Venya Patel