The product, to be market under the trademarked name Memree, will contain a patented combination of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid that has come about from the company’s collaboration with Lipogen Ltd.
The company said that both MemreePS and MemreePlus are positioned for cognitive health applications, though it added that MemreePlus has also been shown to have beneficial effects on cortisol levels.
Cognitive nutrition
Phosphatidylserine is said to boost cognitive activity in adults whose cognitive function is slowing down due to age-related decline.
The compound – found in fish, green leafy vegetables, soybeans and rice – regulates metabolic processes such as neuronal signalling. Studies have associated the nutrient to improvements in memory and mood, and specifically linked it to delaying symptoms of early-onset Alzheimer's.
Partnership
The global partnership between Lonza and Lipogen saw the Swiss company acquire the exclusive rights to sell phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylserine-based formulations manufactured by Lipogen in dietary supplements, medical foods, and food and beverages under the Lonza name.
Reto Renggli, director marketing and sales nutrition at Lonza told NutraIngredients that the long-term cooperation would see Lonza provide global sales, marketing and logistics for phosphatidylserine under its own name, however the ingredient would continue to be manufactured by Lipogen.
“Adding phosphatidylserine to our portfolio of branded ingredients directly represents our commitment to provide a diverse line of nutrition products and an array of formulation-friendly technical qualities,” added Michael DeGennaro, global VP marketing and sales nutrition at Lonza.
Renggli said that the partnership would add to Lonza’s existing DHA ingredients in the cognitive functioning market – noting that with an aging global population, there are big opportunities for growth in the area of mental health and cognitive functioning.
“Phosphatidylserine represents our focus of bringing solutions that meet the needs for cognitive support to our customers,” added DeGennaro.