Higher plants have an extremely sophisticated suite of photoprotective mechanisms that prevent damage in high light conditions. Mechanisms involving anthocyanin molecules have to date received little attention, despite comprising 50% of pigments in leaves during the Autumnal period.

Anthocyanins such as malvin, cyanin and pelargonin are thought to provide a sunscreen to chlorophyll containing proteins, absorbing any excess light in the blue-green part of the solar spectrum, and dissipating this excess energy harmlessly.