Methods for increasing the stability of, or protecting, labile components such as ethanolamine, growth factors, vitamins, etc., in compositions such as a cell culture medium. Stability of the labile compound is increased either, by derivatization of the labile compound with chemicals, or by sequestering the labile compound. Sequestering can be done either by encapsulation within a microcapsule, or by the use of sequestering agents. Encapsulation includes the encapsulation of dendrimers complexes of susceptible compounds within the microcapsule, thereby providing the controlled release of the susceptible compound that was protected.These methods may improve and extend storage conditions of compositions comprising the labile compounds, improve shipping and handling of compositions comprising the labile compounds, such as dry media formulations, at room temperature rather than at lower temperatures thereby decreasing shipping costs. Stabilization of labile compounds in compositions such as dry format media can be viewed as a contribution to green technology.