Effect of biosurfactant on biodegradation of pyrene was studied using a microbial consortium predominantly composed of Pseudomonas viridiflava (49.5%) and Pseudomonas nitroreducens (32.5%) in a batch experiment containing lipopeptidic biosurfactant, produced by Paenibacillus dendritiformis CN5 strain, and mineral salt medium. The results showed that the lipopeptide at 600 and 300 mg L-1 enhanced pyrene degradation to 83.5% and 67% respectively in 24 days compared to 16% degradation in its absence. However degradation of pyrene was reduced to 57% as the lipopeptide supplementation was raised to 900 mg L-1. This demonstrates that the biodegradation of pyrene was found to increase with an increase in the lipopeptide concentration up to a threshold level. The experimental data were fitted to the logistic kinetic model which provided best fit with a coefficient of determination (R-2) values >= 0.97. Maximum specific growth rate, mu(max) of 0.97 and 0.69d(-1) were achieved in the 600 and 300 mg L-1 lipopeptide amendments in comparison to 0.54d(-1) in the unamended one. The carrying capacity, AM. increased 4.4-fold in 600 mg L-1 lipopeptide supplemented samples in comparison to its absence. Generally the lipopeptide showed potential application in improving bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contaminated environmental media. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.