Replication Data for: GC×GC-TOFMS Analysis of Fecal Metabolome Stabilized Using an At-Home Stool Collection Device

Currently, flash-freezing or lyophilization are utilized to prevent post-collection metabolome changes; however, this requires complex equipment and immediate processing, precluding the possibility for at-home sampling. Commercial devices containing stabilizing solvents have been developed to facilitate at-home collection, ambient transport, and sample storage. Here, we explore the efficacy of a commercially available stool collection device with a stabilization reagent tailored to fecal metabolomics.

Stool samples from six donors were either processed post-collection or stored at room temperature for seven-days in the tube, with and without the stabilization reagent. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) untargeted metabolomics was utilized for analyzing extracted metabolites. Chemometric analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the device.

We found that the device with the stabilization reagent minimized changes in the metabolite profile relative to unstabilized stool left at room temperature for one week.